The non-reproducibility of the environment and accompanying difficulty in reconstructing scenarios is one of the greatest challenges of endurance testing. Unfavourable weather conditions in particular, such as rain, fog and the position of the sun, can lead to critical sensor effects and to incorrect decisions subsequently being taken by an automated system. The safeguarding of safety systems draws on the aforementioned mixed reality test environment, enabling testing both in real life under reproducible conditions and virtually in simulation environments.
Statistical and dynamic tests can be made at variable rain intensities using an indoor rain unit developed in-house and validated with measurements taken under natural conditions. The use of a test hall for testing purposes ensures stable general conditions. In addition, by employing disturbance models, it is possible to perform purely virtual testing of algorithms to determine weather effects. A considerable increase in a system’s robustness can be effected by conducting tests at an early stage.