Using Vehicle Dynamics Toolbox, Automated Driving Toolbox &Unreal Engine in tandem - Coordinate systems

Hi,

I am trying to adapt the Double Lane Change Reference Application (https://www.mathworks.com/help/vdynblks/ug/double-lane-change-reference-application.html) for a testing my autonomous driving controller (specifically overtaking maneuvers). I want to use the Automated Driving Toolbox to create different scenarios to test my controller. I seem to have issues with different parts the the simulink model using different coordinate systems. I have already tried going through the documentation regarding the coordinate systems but could not find any concrete examples that use all 3 toolboxes.

I would be specifiying the other actors and lanes in the driving scenarios and the ego vehicle would be simulated in closed loop using the controller and the vehicle model created using the Vehicle dynamics toolbox. I would also like to visualize the 3D simulation using the inbuilt Unreal engine.

Any information and guidance regarding this would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

[Pratyush]

Hi Jiyo,

To adapt the Double Lane Change Reference Application for testing your autonomous driving controller with different MATLAB and Simulink toolboxes, follow these steps:

• Familiarize yourself with the different coordinate systems used by the Automated Driving Toolbox, Vehicle Dynamics Blockset, and Unreal Engine.
• Use the Driving Scenario Designer app to create your overtaking scenario, ensuring compatibility with the Automated Driving Toolbox's world coordinate system.
• Model your ego vehicle using the Vehicle Dynamics Blockset and align its coordinate system with that of the Automated Driving Toolbox.
• Add sensors and other actors, transforming sensor data to the controller's expected coordinate system if necessary.
• Set up the 3D visualization in the Unreal Engine, applying transformations to match the Unreal Engine's coordinate system.
• Run the simulation with your autonomous driving controller in the loop, testing against various scenarios.
• If issues arise, verify coordinate system transformations and use visualization tools for debugging.

Remember to consult toolbox documentation for examples and transformation functions, and iterate based on simulation results.