CarMaker

CarMaker is a comprehensive simulation solution designed for the development and testing of automobiles and light-duty vehicles across all stages, including MIL, SIL, HIL, and VIL. This open integration and test platform facilitates the creation of virtual test scenarios for various application areas. Its high-resolution 3D visualization offers photorealistic quality, and numerous supported standards ensure seamless integration into existing tool landscapes.

Key benefits include high reliability backed by industry references, a significant reduction in physical testing through a realistic virtual environment, and efficient process integration via an open platform with extensive standards support. Users will appreciate the great usability with an intuitive GUI and ready-to-use examples. CarMaker enables end-to-end workflows by merging simulation assets and tools, and ensures seamless reusability of scenarios across development stages. The superior performance is driven by a fast C/C++-based simulation core, while easy and rapid scalability is achieved through its support for HPC and cloud-based applications, ideal for CI/CD/CT.

CarMaker provides a high-performance, real-time capable vehicle model for rapid virtual prototyping in early development phases. Components can be swapped with customer-specific models or hardware. Combined with an adaptive driver model, traffic model, and detailed road/environment models, it enables automated and reproducible tests. The user interface is designed for easy parameterization.

Its advanced visualization tool renders photorealistic simulations with dynamic light and weather effects, allowing tests at any time of day or season. Built-in camera models with HDR capability are ideal for testing camera systems, and AI algorithms can be trained and validated using semantic segmentation. Generated images can be directly transferred to camera system imagers.

The platform guarantees a smooth, stable, and automated test process for MIL, SIL, HIL, and VIL applications, supporting parallel execution of test catalogs on workstations, HPC systems, or in the cloud. Test automation can be managed via the integrated Test Manager or a Python API.

CarMaker offers extensive data analysis capabilities, allowing flexible storage for third-party software analysis or direct monitoring during test runs with IPGControl. It supports data comparison across multiple runs. The virtual dashboard Instruments provides access to all relevant instruments, scales, and driver behavior information, as well as vehicle status.

Integration into existing toolchains is simplified through numerous standards like FMI and OpenDRIVE. CarMaker can also serve as a central integration platform with its custom interfaces, with ongoing efforts to further enhance integration capabilities.

IPG Automotive, a global leader in virtual test driving technology, develops innovative software and hardware solutions for the automotive industry. Their virtual test driving approach supports the seamless development, calibration, testing, and validation of entire vehicle systems in realistic scenarios, aligning with automotive systems engineering principles.