CarLink: A Real-Time V2X Validation Platform for a Safe and Sustainable Mobility

In this article, we present CarLink, a new simulation platform with hardware-in-the-loop (HiL), designed and implemented to reduce the time spent on field tests through the emulation of a complex vehicular scenario in a controlled laboratory environment. Specifically, CarLink can simulate a generic traffic scenario and let each vehicle in it communicate with a vehicle under test (VUT), which is actually physically available HiL and equipped with long- and short-range wireless communication capabilities. Communication between simulated vehicles and the VUT is provided by an external management unit (EMU) that integrates the virtual world with the physical one. The architecture is also designed to allow the integration of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) testing for the validation of future connected and automated vehicles.