In-the-Loop Simulations Provide Improved Methods for Testing of Connected Vehicle Technologies : Simulations Link Actual Vehicles and Infrastructure with Virtual Traffic Environment : [fact sheet]
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Summary
This fact sheet outlines research supported by the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program to develop improved testing methods for connected vehicle (CV) technologies. CV technology relies on vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure wireless communication to enhance safety, traffic efficiency, fuel economy, and environmental sustainability. The primary challenge addressed is the need for reliable, standardized ways to test CV applications under a wide range of conditions. Traditional simulation software, while safe and reliable for virtual elements, lacks the ability to incorporate real-world performance data. To bridge this gap, the EAR Program funded projects that integrate actual vehicle and infrastructure data into simulation platforms, creating "in-the-loop" systems that link physical entities with virtual traffic environments. Two primary research initiatives are highlighted. First, researchers at the Texas A&M University Transportation Institute (TTI), in partnership with Battelle Memorial Institute and Siemens Corporation, developed a platform called CONVAS (Connected Vehicle Assessment Simulation). This system merges conventional traffic simulation software (Vissim) with open-source wireless communication simulation (ns-3). CONVAS incorporates "hardware-in-the-loop" features that feed real-time data from actual roadway infrastructure and connected vehicles into the model. This allows the simulation to represent interactions between real and simulated elements, including critical scenarios such as disruptions in wireless communications. Data was sourced from the TTI highway test facility and the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center’s Connected Vehicle Testbed. Second, researchers at the University of Minnesota and the University of Michigan developed a hardware-in-the-loop simulation testbed to measure fuel consumption and emissions. This system links an actual powertrain with vehicle and traffic simulations. It utilizes a 115 HP turbocharged diesel engine and a hydrostatic dynamometer housed in a laboratory. A Vissim traffic simulation transmits road and traffic condition information over the Internet to this hardware testbed, which controls engine load and output. This setup allows for the precise measurement of actual emissions and fuel consumption under varying CV scenarios, addressing the difficulty and high cost of equipping multiple test vehicles with precision measurement devices in the field. The significance of these developments lies in their ability to overcome the limitations of traditional simulations. By integrating real-world data and hardware, these platforms enable accurate and rapid modeling of complex CV environments. This approach accelerates the assessment of CV and vehicle automation systems, providing a robust foundation for future research. As noted by FHWA officials, these in-the-loop platforms offer transformative benefits for connected vehicle research, facilitating the study of safety, mobility, and environmental impacts without the prohibitive costs and logistical challenges of large-scale physical testing.
Key finding
In-the-loop simulation platforms that integrate actual vehicle performance data and hardware into virtual traffic environments provide improved methods for accurately testing connected vehicle technologies and measuring emissions.
Methodology
simulation_modeling
Provenance
The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (7 acquisition events logged).
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | rosap | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-23 |
| archive | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| chunk | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| embed | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-02 |
| enrich | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 4 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 19 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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- Methodological Resource: tool software, validation psychometrics