Porsche Engineering has developed an app designed for use in test drives. With the help of the „ComBox,“ relevant measurements can be evaluated directly using AI in some cases. The results and the associated measurement data are automatically uploaded to the cloud.
The hardware platform is a standard high-end smartphone, whose computing power is essentially available to the assistance software developed by Porsche Engineering.
The app obtains the relevant vehicle buses and data from a data logger in the test vehicle, such as Porsche Engineering’s Car Data Box. The data logger must have full access to all bus systems and be able to provide information about the current status of all vehicle systems. It sends this data to the smartphone via cable using an Ethernet-to-USB adapter or via Wi-Fi.
After launching the app, users can choose from six different modes:
- The „Basic Service“ can be used to trigger a measurement of vehicle control unit data at any time in order to record this measurement data and upload it to the cloud.
- The „Acoustic Complaints“ mode uses AI to find disturbing noises.
- „Infotainment recording“ helps to resolve display problems.
- The „Automated shift and test reports“ mode is used after test drives and reduces the effort required for logging.
- The „Automated Shift and Test Reports“ mode uses measurement signals from the vehicle to partially automatically fill out the reports required for documenting test drives, such as the number of repetitions performed. The „Scene Recognition“ mode, which is still in development, is intended to record general traffic scenarios that are relevant for ADAS functions, for example. Edge computing directly in the app also allows complex scenarios and test cycles to be recognized automatically.
- The „scene recognition“ mode, which is still under development, is intended to capture general traffic scenarios that are relevant for ADAS functions, for example. Edge computing directly in the app also allows complex scenarios and test cycles to be recognized automatically.
According to the company, the six modes of the ComBox app have already proven themselves in practice and are constantly being further developed. In the future, Porsche Engineering plans to offer this tool, including the backend in the cloud, as a standalone product to its industrial customers. The individual modes can be added as needed. (jr)
