Norwegian SIMPLEX R&D project receives 9.6 MNOK funding

? Zeabuz, DNV and NTNU aims to develop methods for a holistic test strategy through the innovation project “The role of SIMulation in assurance of intelligent and comPLEX systems” (SIMPLEX). The Research Council of Norway funding will enable an extensive project up to 2025. To successfully deploy autonomous vessels into the public transport system, one must verify the complex inner workings of autonomous systems combined with all possible situations or interactions in the real world, resulting in safe and efficient behavior. The core idea of the SIMPLEX project is that extensive use of simulation-based testing is the key to achieving this.

? “Autonomous vessels will frequently change due to updated software or changes in the operating environment. The test scope will, therefore, need frequent updating throughout its lifecycle. This makes test automation critical to enable continuous assurance of the system”, says Oyvind Smogeli, CTO and Co-founder of Zeabuz.

The project also plans to use NTNU’s autonomous passenger ferry, milliAmpere II, as a use case for the applied research.

? “The development of a holistic simulation-based test strategy is also a key enabler for DNV in establishing a leading position in the market to ensure autonomous, complex, and intelligent systems, including the secondary need of assuring complex simulators and simulation models that enable such holistic test strategies”, says Jon Arne Glomsrud, Senior Principal Researcher in DNV and PM of the SIMPLEX project.

? “Varying levels of autonomy and small purpose-built electric vessels will be the key to achieving mobility system qualities such as high availability, redundancy, flexibility, and cost efficiency. This will significantly contribute to better and more efficient use of urban waterways, enabling citizens to increasingly walk, bike, and use other forms of micro-mobility. This will, in turn, allow less use of valuable land areas, less air pollution from road-based urban transport, and more effective use of natural resources. It all starts with developing trustworthy technologies”, states Oyvind Smogeli.

? Source: Zeabuz
? Image: Zeabuz