Energy Magazine May 2021 | Page 58

Copyright by Hamburger Hochbahn
world there are no boundaries to the scenarios the vehicle can learn from . “ I can guarantee you that no autonomous vehicle is sitting at the base of a bridge in San Francisco waiting for an earthquake so it can drive across that bridge to ensure it behaves properly ,” reasons Fritz . “ Yet , if you ' re in San Francisco and want to buy an autonomous vehicle , that ' s an important consideration .”
Region-specific scenarios like this may not happen very often but , when they do , the implications are potentially serious and need to be validated . Many of these are too unsafe or just too difficult to do in a physical vehicle , which is what makes the use of a digital twin so vital .
“ Driving students are taught to watch out for pedestrians crossing the road between cars , we ’ ve all been through that standard process ,” reasons Fritz . “ If we take that process and identify 50 things you ’ ve got to learn , we can begin to set up the scenarios for autonomous vehicles that can deliver timeless learnings applicable in all regional settings . Sure , there
58 May 2021