Pioneering End-to-End Demonstrable Implementation of SDV by ACPS Lab, IIT Indore

(13 Jan 2025, Dr. Gourinath Banda, Email:[email protected])

IIT Indore’s Autonomous Cyber-Physical Systems (ACPS) Lab, led by Dr. Gourinath Banda and a stellar undergraduate team comprising Krish Agrawal, Rohan Jha, Nishkarsh Luthra, Sekhar Venkata, and Hrishesh Sharma, has set a new benchmark in the automotive systems’ research and development. Their pioneering work on #SDVs, integrating a #DigiTwin-Based Framework for Over-The-Air (OTA) Updates, has won the prestigious Best Research Work and Presentation (Undergrad category) at the #COMSNETS 2025 conference.

This project, the first-ever end-to-end #SDV framework developed in academia and industry, focuses on ensuring the safety and reliability of OTA software updates in vehicles, revolutionizing the concept of SDVs. By integrating state-of-the-art vehicle simulation with digital twin technology, the framework allows rigorous pre-deployment testing of software updates, enhancing reliability and reducing potential risks. This work is accepted for publication and presentation at COMSNETS2025.

Contributions: A Revolutionary Approach to SDVs

In the era of smart and connected vehicles, SDVs represent a paradigm shift from mechanical systems to software-centric architectures. The ACPS Lab’s framework capitalizes on this shift by addressing the challenges of software scalability, maintainability, and #safety. Highlights of their contributions include:

• DigiTwin Integration: The framework employs a cloud-based digital twin of the vehicle, enabling software updates to be rigorously tested in a virtual environment before deployment to physical vehicles.
• Vehicle #Simulator Development: An economical, in-house simulator replicates real-world driving scenarios, facilitating cost-effective validation.
• Battery Management Application: A proof-of-concept showcasing the integration of sensor data for real-time battery performance monitoring.

Potential Impact

This framework not only ensures the safety of OTA updates but also significantly reduces development and compliance timelines, a crucial aspect in the automotive industry where stringent safety standards like ISO 26262 dominate. The team’s use of cutting-edge technologies, such as #RISC-V architecture-based virtual ECUs, secure gRPC communication, and Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), underscores their dedication to innovation.

Key features of this framework include:

• Safety-First Approach: Updates are validated in a digital twin environment, ensuring compatibility and functionality without compromising vehicle safety.
• Scalable Architecture: Leveraging virtualization to support modular software systems for easy adaptation across vehicle models.
• Streamlined OTA Process: A comprehensive pipeline from initial testing on digital twins to final deployment on physical vehicles.

Vision for the Future

The work envisions expanding the framework to incorporate large ECU hierarchies, optimize update latencies, and enhance security protocols. Future iterations aim to achieve real-time compatibility checks and automatic software updates for vehicles, akin to modern smartphone experiences, without sacrificing safety.

This project showcases our lab’s commitment to advancing cyber-physical systems and creating technologies that drive real-world impact. Winning this recognition at COMSNETS 2025 reaffirms our efforts to push the boundaries of automotive innovation through applied sciences, engineering and technology. ACPS Lab can be found here https://people.iiti.ac.in/~gourinath

#SDV, #Digitaltwin, #RISCV, #Automotive, #Research, #Automotive, #Software #SDVCars #SDV_ADAS #CarSoftware #SDVIndustry