‘Truly incredible realism’ – if that sounds like a compelling simulation technology to you, then you’ll understand why we’re so excited to announce that we’re working with leading driving simulator specialist AVSimulation to bring the best of the latest SCANeR studio release and Unreal Engine integration to customers in the UK market.
AVSimulation solutions are used globally to train not only drivers, but also Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles. Working with AVSimulation enables us to upgrade UK simulators’ existing 3D environments (or, indeed, develop new environment models) to achieve a stunning uplift in simulation quality, without clients having to upskill to master the AVSimulation technology themselves.
In short, AVSimulation is enabling us to steer driving simulators seamlessly towards a more immersive, more realistic, more instructive experience – giving them a critical edge over the competition.
Why this, why now?
The global driving simulator market is in major growth mode. Its value, estimated at £1.16 billion in 2021, is expected to reach £1.73 billion by 2026, demonstrating a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.3 %.
There are multiple drivers behind this, including a high need for driver assessment, the rise of electrification, connectivity, and autonomous / driver assistance technologies that all require accurate simulation to support stringent testing regimes, and the requirement to analyse driving condition risks without exposing drivers to physical danger.
There is also a certain degree of what might be called ‘pent-up’ demand, as projects requiring simulation that were put on hold because of the Covid-19 pandemic are now being urgently reinstated (an effect that we at Agility3 have also noticed with regard to the infrastructure programmes that rely on our road, rail, and construction simulation solutions).
In any event, the processes of developing and testing motor vehicles, and the act of driving them, are all more reliant on simulator technology now than ever before, and the expectations of that technology are growing too.
This is where AVSimulation’s expertise, experience, and heritage really deliver. With its roots in a Renault simulation joint venture going back over 30 years that ultimately resulted in the creation of SCANeR, the company was commissioned by Renault to develop the most advanced driving simulator ever built for its ROADS (Renault Optimisation Autonomous Driving Simulator) programme, which focused on simulating and validating ADAS and autonomous driving features.
SCANeR is now in use with over 250 corporations and has been the subject of over 500 scientific papers, so it is not only a long-established and proven technology, but one that has taken technical innovation to new heights too.
By combining the latest version of SCANeR with Unreal Engine – a powerful 3D core – AVSimulation has created a solution that contains many more tools for managing and analysing dimensions, light, colorimetry, visual effects, rendering passes, optimisers, and profiling.
The outcome is faster development, vastly more photorealistic content, and a far more lifelike experience for the end-user.
What challenges does this overcome?
For UK clients and users, there is an obvious benefit around having a local presence (in the form of Agility3) that can not only integrate and optimise this technology, but also customise it to their precise needs, and offer advice, consultancy, and support.
For example, we can conduct UK site surveys to collect data (LIDAR, photographic, etc.) from which more realistic virtual environments can be developed.
Likewise, we are a local source of expertise for incorporating custom developments into clients’ 3D models – animated level crossing barriers that behave exactly like real ones would, for example, or emergency vehicles with realistic lights, dynamic road layouts that change to meet specific research needs, realistic smoke, dust or fog or complex, dynamic signs that can catch drivers unawares in the blink of an eye, amongst many others.
But there are also some very specific technical challenges that our work with AVSimulation will help our clients to overcome.
Lighting conditions, for example, can be critical to autonomous vehicle sensors, but representing realistic lighting conditions in 3D environments has often been a challenge in the past. With the incredible lighting capability offered by Unreal Engine, however, true-to-life lighting effects with SCANeR are now entirely possible.
Equally, simulating the physical properties and behaviours of surfaces and materials – how shiny and reflective they are, for example – has typically been problematic in earlier 3D systems, but here again, the new SCANeR-Unreal Engine integration comprehensively overcomes these limitations.
It’s also important to note that Agility3 has been developing virtual environments for driving simulators since 2012, so we’re experts in UK road design and regulations – which, once again, means the simulator will always be a faithful representation of the required environment.
So, where next?
At Agility3, we’re always trying to bring 3D visualisation and simulation to a broader audience across more diverse sectors, so whether we’re developing solutions for transport research or national rail infrastructure, for autonomous vehicle testing and trials or road safety, or anything else, we see the value in both delivering our own complete solutions and acting as a trusted local optimiser for other specialists’ offerings.
And as far as driving simulation goes, that specialist is most certainly AVSimulation. Of the work going on between us, AVSimulation’s UK Sales Area Manager, Christophe Hamel, comments: “We are delighted that Agility3 has come on board to communicate the benefits of the SCANeR-Unreal Engine integration to its clients and prospects in the UK, and we are confident that it has the necessary technical expertise and product knowledge to serve those customers well in their quest to take their simulators to the next level of realism and effectiveness.”
In simulation, as in real life, the key to success is getting the very best out of what you’ve got – and in our work with AVSimulation, the best is definitely on its way.