This image provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government shows a self-driving car simulator .
SEOUL, April 28 (Korea Bizwire) — The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it will distribute a self-driving car simulator that virtually recreates the autonomous driving vehicle test drive zone in the city’s western district of Sangam as open-source software.
The virtual world implements a three-dimensional, high-definition map that renders even the slightest details like lane markings, buildings, roadside trees, as well as real-like traffic situations, children’s safety zones and various weather conditions.
With real-time traffic light information collected by the self-driving support infrastructure, the virtual environment set up for testing autonomous vehicles automatically syncs in real-time with various risk situations like unseen pedestrians, the city said.
The city expects that the simulator’s free distribution will expedite technological development at universities, research institutions and startups.
Previously, self-driving car simulators had to be purchased overseas at exorbitant prices.
Also, it was up to research institutions and companies to build various road and traffic conditions needed for the virtual test, which was a costly job that required significant effort.
Seoul’s open-source simulator was developed by SK Telecom Co. and local VR developer MORAI using South Korean technology.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
