This example use case aimed to integrate Mcity 2.0’s advanced simulation and mixed reality system with the VOICES platform. VOICES, an initiative led by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is a distributed virtual platform designed to facilitate collaborative efforts among diverse stakeholders including state and local governments, the private sector, and academic institutions. This integration aligns with the National Science Foundation’s objectives of fostering collaboration with national laboratories.
Source: FHWA
Goals and Objectives
The primary aim of this use case was to analyze the econometrics of connected/autonomous vehicles within a collaborative environment and compare these metrics against solo drive baselines. Participants managed their vehicles within individual simulations, with key econometric data being collected for subsequent analysis by the Argonne National Laboratory.
String of autonomous vehicles, in the distributed simulation, traversing through the roundabout at Mcity.
Integration and Collaboration
At the heart of this use case is the seamless integration of Mcity’s simulation capabilities and its remote-access technology into the VOICES platform. This demonstration showcased Mcity’s adaptability and interoperability. Key participants in this event included national laboratories (Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory), Econolite, the University of California Los Angeles, and the Federal Highway Administration.
Distributed Participants in Use Case 2
Features and Capabilities
This use case emphasized the Mcity 2.0 platform’s flexibility. Instead of hosting the simulation entirely in Mcity’s OS Cloud, the simulation map and world simulation was shared with participants. Each participant was able to set up their own simulation and link in with every other participant’s simulation. This technique is called Distributed Simulation. Mcity’s participation showcased that the Mcity 2.0 platform is capable of almost any kind of deployment and collaboration.
The test plan for use case 2
Simulation and Real-World Testing
For this use case, Mcity contributed a high-definition map and a dynamic CARLA environment of its test facility. This formed the basis for each participant’s hosted simulation. Real-time vehicle data was shared among all participants. Unique to this project, both Argonne National Laboratory and Mcity linked their simulations to real vehicles. In Argonne’s case, an electric vehicle was mounted on a dynamometer, while Mcity employed a real-world vehicle at its Ann Arbor, Michigan test track. Data from both simulated and real-world environments was gathered for comprehensive analysis.
Electric vehicle connected to the distributed simulation and a dynamometer at Argonne National Labs
Additional Contributions and Future Applications
Mcity also introduced background vehicles into the distributed simulation. These background vehicles were controlled by the TeraSim system, which is trained upon extensive traffic data from Ann Arbor intersections. These vehicles were configured to avoid interfering with the test vehicles to ensure unaltered econometric data. This unobtrusive implementation served as a proof-of-concept of the interoperability of TeraSim with distributed simulation systems like VOICES. For this use case, the background vehicles were configured to be very safe, so as not to interfere with the econometrics being gathered. Future test runs could be configured to be more adversarial toward the vehicles under test.
Unique capabilities Mcity 2.0 delivered to the VOICES project
- Ability to run physical test vehicles on a physical test track that is integrated into the Voices distributed simulation environment.
- Ability to create virtual background traffic in TeraSim with the potential to create challenging test scenarios for the virtual and physical vehicles that are being tested.
- Provision of a high-definition map and a dynamic CARLA environment representing the Mcity test facility.