Controlled time series generation for automotive software-in-the-loop testing using GANs

Testing automotive mechatronic systems partly uses the software-in-the-loop approach, where systematically covering inputs of the system-under-test remains a major challenge. In current practice, there are two major techniques of input stimulation. One approach is to craft input sequences which eases control and feedback of the test process but falls short of exposing the system to realistic scenarios. The other is to replay sequences recorded from field operations which accounts for reality but requires collecting a well-labeled dataset of sufficient capacity for widespread use, which is expensive. This work applies the well-known unsupervised learning framework of Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) to learn an unlabeled dataset of recorded in-vehicle signals and uses it for generation of synthetic input stimuli. Additionally, a metric-based linear interpolation algorithm is demonstrated, which guarantees that generated stimuli follow a customizable similarity relationship with specified references. This combination of techniques enables controlled generation of a rich range of meaningful and realistic input patterns, improving virtual test coverage and reducing the need for expensive field tests.