– Target on developing global standard in automated
driving test systems, to support automotive OEMs and sensor
manufacturers
– Technologies and expertise of 3
Group companies and Applus+ IDIADA will be integrated, and
seamless coordination will be achieved between reproducible
physical environmental testing and virtual environmental
testing
TOKYO, Sept 16, 2021 – (JCN Newswire) – Three
MHI Group companies have concluded an agreement with Applus+
IDIADA (IDIADA), a Spain-based multinational company that
performs engineering, testing and homologation for the
automotive industry, on joint development of a testing and
verification system for highly automated vehicles. IDIADA
has an abundant track record in vehicle development, testing
and homologation for automakers in Europe, and is
contributing to the formulation of international standards
in these areas.
Today,
development of automated driving systems is vigorously
underway worldwide, and in the years ahead, dramatic
capability improvements and increasing adoption of such
systems are anticipated. To ensure their safe and secure
operation, it must be verified that sensors and systems will
function normally under the diverse natural environments
that highly automated vehicles will encounter; moreover,
needs are expected to increase in the coming years for
testing under all possible weather conditions. In response,
three MHI Group companies and IDIADA will jointly develop an
indoor integrated environmental testing facility enabling
high-precision testing of highly automated vehicles under
any freely chosen combination of natural environments (snow,
fog, rain, glare, etc.) and driving conditions, plus a
system that enables comprehensive verification in virtual
environments. The aim is to contribute to shortening the
development time and reducing development costs of automated
driving systems for automotive OEMs and sensor
manufacturers.
In developing the targeted integrated
environmental testing facility, the three MHI Group
companies will each contribute their proprietary
technologies: MHI, its radar wave reflection and dispersion
control technologies; MHI Air-Conditioning and
Refrigeration, its environmental testing technologies for
air-conditioning and refrigeration units; and Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries Machinery Systems, its system integration
technologies relating to automotive testing
systems.
MHI Group, as part of its growth promotion
strategy delineated in its 2021 Medium-Term Business Plan,
is currently taking steps to develop its solutions business
in mobility and other new areas. The new project is one of
an array of initiatives being taken focused on
infrastructure to support “CASE” era automobiles. Going
forward, working in collaboration with IDIADA, IDIADA and
MHI Group will pursue establishment of a global standard in
automated vehicle testing and verification systems as a way
of contributing to the broad adoption of safe and secure
automated driving systems.
“CASE” is an acronym
derived from the words “connected,” “autonomous/automated,”
“shared” and “electric.” It refers to the current
technological trend in the automotive industry to create
next-generation mobility services offering outstanding
safety and convenience.
About Applus+
IDIADA
With over 25 years of history, Applus+ IDIADA
is a leading engineering company providing design, testing,
engineering and homologation services to the automotive
industry worldwide. Applus+ IDIADA counts on more than 2,500
engineers from over 25 countries specialised in vehicle
development. The headquarters, composed of a 360-hectares
technical center with its own proving ground and a
comprehensive set of laboratories, is located near
Barcelona, Spain. The company also has an international
network of subsidiaries and branch offices in 24 countries,
which ensures that their clients receive fast and customised
services.
IDIADA A.T. (80% owned by Applus+ and 20% by
the Government of Catalonia) has been operating under an
exclusive contract from the 351-hectare technology centre
near Barcelona (owned by the Government of Catalonia) since
1999. The contract to operate the business and use the
assets runs until September 2024 and although it is
renewable in five-year periods until 2049, it has been
decided that there will be no further extensions but a
tender for a new 20 or 25 year concession.
About MHI
Group
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one
of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy,
logistics & infrastructure, industrial machinery,
aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge
technology with deep experience to deliver innovative,
integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral
world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world.
For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our
insights and stories on www.spectra.mhi.com.