Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Li, Changwen, Sifakis, Joseph, Yan, Rongjie, Zhang, Jian
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.16914
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866913364439990272
author Li, Changwen
Sifakis, Joseph
Yan, Rongjie
Zhang, Jian
author_facet Li, Changwen
Sifakis, Joseph
Yan, Rongjie
Zhang, Jian
contents Simulation-based testing remains the main approach for validating Autonomous Driving Systems. We propose a rigorous test method based on breaking down scenarios into simple ones, taking into account the fact that autopilots make decisions according to traffic rules whose application depends on local knowledge and context. This leads us to consider the autopilot as a dynamic system receiving three different types of vistas as input, each characterizing a specific driving operation and a corresponding control policy. The test method for the considered vista types generates test cases for critical configurations that place the vehicle under test in critical situations characterized by the transition from cautious behavior to progression in order to clear an obstacle. The test cases thus generated are realistic, i.e., they determine the initial conditions from which safe control policies are possible, based on knowledge of the vehicle's dynamic characteristics. Constraint analysis identifies the most critical test cases, whose success implies the validity of less critical ones. Test coverage can therefore be greatly simplified. Critical test cases reveal major defects in Apollo, Autoware, and the Carla and LGSVL autopilots. Defects include accidents, software failures, and traffic rule violations that would be difficult to detect by random simulation, as the test cases lead to situations characterized by finely-tuned parameters of the vehicles involved, such as their relative position and speed. Our results corroborate real-life observations and confirm that autonomous driving systems still have a long way to go before offering acceptable safety guarantees.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2405_16914
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Rigorous Simulation-based Testing for Autonomous Driving Systems -- Targeting the Achilles' Heel of Four Open Autopilots
Li, Changwen
Sifakis, Joseph
Yan, Rongjie
Zhang, Jian
Software Engineering
Simulation-based testing remains the main approach for validating Autonomous Driving Systems. We propose a rigorous test method based on breaking down scenarios into simple ones, taking into account the fact that autopilots make decisions according to traffic rules whose application depends on local knowledge and context. This leads us to consider the autopilot as a dynamic system receiving three different types of vistas as input, each characterizing a specific driving operation and a corresponding control policy. The test method for the considered vista types generates test cases for critical configurations that place the vehicle under test in critical situations characterized by the transition from cautious behavior to progression in order to clear an obstacle. The test cases thus generated are realistic, i.e., they determine the initial conditions from which safe control policies are possible, based on knowledge of the vehicle's dynamic characteristics. Constraint analysis identifies the most critical test cases, whose success implies the validity of less critical ones. Test coverage can therefore be greatly simplified. Critical test cases reveal major defects in Apollo, Autoware, and the Carla and LGSVL autopilots. Defects include accidents, software failures, and traffic rule violations that would be difficult to detect by random simulation, as the test cases lead to situations characterized by finely-tuned parameters of the vehicles involved, such as their relative position and speed. Our results corroborate real-life observations and confirm that autonomous driving systems still have a long way to go before offering acceptable safety guarantees.
title Rigorous Simulation-based Testing for Autonomous Driving Systems -- Targeting the Achilles' Heel of Four Open Autopilots
topic Software Engineering
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.16914