Ann Arbor Times

The University of Michigan has unveiled the first open-source digital twin of its Mcity Test Facility, a center dedicated to testing connected and autonomous vehicles. This new tool is available for free to researchers worldwide, providing a virtual environment that mirrors the physical test track in Ann Arbor.

A digital twin is a virtual model that replicates a physical space and exchanges data with it, allowing for simulation and testing. The Mcity digital twin was developed with support from the National Science Foundation and is designed specifically for mobility systems testing, including autonomous driving. It offers an efficient method to test vehicle software without needing to visit the physical location.

Greg Stevens, Mcity’s director of research, explained the innovation: “This takes our almost 10-year-old track and puts the digital replica directly over it. That’s a living, breathing manifestation of that physical track where people can do mixed reality testing and development.”

The digital twin operates alongside TeraSim, an open-source traffic simulator created by Mcity researchers. It introduces various road users like pedestrians and cyclists while generating safety-critical events such as potential collisions. These simulations use traffic behavioral models based on real-world data to replicate both normal and high-risk scenarios.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are seen as a means to improve transportation safety and efficiency. However, extensive research is needed before these technologies can be widely beneficial. Virtual testing allows control software to achieve high safety levels before real-world application.

Darian Hogue, an Mcity software engineer involved in developing the digital twin, highlighted its advantages: “You can drive millions of miles in your AV in a digital twin built off of a real-world environment before your AV actually touches the real world.”

Since opening in 2015, Mcity has been enhancing its features to make them accessible to more researchers. A $5.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation in 2022 funded the development of Mcity's digital infrastructure—known as Mcity 2.0—and facilitated remote use capabilities launched in October.

Henry Liu, Director of Mcity and professor at the University of Michigan, noted: “What differentiates the Mcity digital twin is that it supports virtual testing while remote use involves testing a physical vehicle at our physical test track from a remote location.” He added that as an open-source tool, it lowers barriers for technology developers and researchers.