IVRESS/AVSP

IVRESS/AVSP (Autonomous Vehicles Simulation Platform) is a physics-based high-fidelity simulation software tool that can be used to predict the dynamic response of interconnected autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) interacting with each other and their environment along with the response and performance of the AGVs’ autonomy stacks. IVRESS/AVSP simulates:

Vehicles: running gear, powertrain, suspension, and steering systems.
The environment: topography, vegetation, static objects (rocks, buildings, barriers, signs, poles, etc.), dynamic objects (people, animals, vehicles), night/day cycle, fog, rain, snow, and smoke.
Vehicle-environment interaction: contact with static/dynamic objects (vegetation, rocks, vehicles, structures, etc.), terramechanics (for tires, tracks and legs), water fording, and running gear dust generation.
Vehicle exteroceptive sensors: Cameras, Lidar, Radar, and Ultrasound sensors.

IVRESS-AVSP consists of 4 integrated modules:

IVRESS/GroundVehicle: Computational mechanics physics engine which integrates: MBD (multibody dynamics), terramechanics, FEM (finite element method), DEM (discrete element method), and SPH (smoothed particle hydrodynamics).
Unreal game engine: for near-photorealistic visualization of the environment and modeling exteroceptive sensors (camera, Lidar, and Radar).
Autonomy Stack: IVRESS-AVSP can interface with any autonomy stack through a co-simulation API (this includes
ROS-based or standalone stacks).
Mission Manager: manages the simulation scenario including:
- Vehicle mission commands.
- Time-based events.
- Condition-based events.

IVRESS/AVSP Features

Supported ground vehicle types:
- Wheeled vehicles. Pneumatic tires can be modeled using a Pacejka lumped tire model or a FE (Finite Element) tire.
- Tracked vehicles: Single-pin segmented track; Double-pin segmented track; Reinforced rubber belt track.
- 2 and 4 legged robots.
Multiple vehicles can be simulated. Up to 4 autonomous vehicles can be simulated in real-time.
IVRESS-Unreal engine co-simulation interface.
Interface with the vehicles autonomy stacks through ROS or an IVRESS co-simulation interface.

Unreal plugin for exteroceptive sensor simulation. Models include:
- Visible light camera.
- IR camera.
- LiDAR
- RADAR
- Ultrasound sensor

Unreal GIS importer plugin allows converting GIS data to an Unreal environment/terrain model (without a graphics artist). GIS data include:
- Lidar point clouds for the entire terrain with hires
  point clouds for areas of interest.
- Open splines for roads/trails.
- Closed splines for vegetation and terrain texturing.
- CAD models & POSE data for: buildings, bridges, structures, signs, etc.
- Soil type, moisture content, and soil compaction maps.

Soft-soil deformable terrain modeled using a height-field pressure-sinkage simple terramechanics model.

Grass and trees modeled using arrays of beam elements which include the effects of axial and bending stiffness, damping, and strength.

Running gear dust emission model.