Integrate VPP based on AWSIM LAbs

[WJaworskiRobotec]

VPP integration for increased realism of vehicle's behaviour developed in AWSIM Labs should be ported to main AWSIM

autowarefoundation#116

[mackierx111]

I have used VPP for another project. I think VPP is a great library to simulate vehicle dynamics in Unity, but I have some concerns about using it as the default vehicle dynamics in AWSIM.

concerns

• In VPP, each actual component such as engine and transmission is modeled, which in turn requires actual specification data (e.g., engine torque curve, gear ratios, etc.). While these data are easy to obtain for ordinary gasoline vehicles, it is difficult to obtain sufficient data for next-generation hybrid and electric vehicles.
• Even if various spec data were available, components not included in the VPP would still need to be modeled and implemented. For example, many hybrid vehicles are equipped with a CVT, but this mechanism varies considerably among manufacturers and models. Simply varying the gear ratio to the target engine speed cannot be simulated.
• Even if we had access to a variety of data and materials with the cooperation of the automakers, the VPP community license would limit customization.

I agree that AWSIM developers should improve the design to allow arbitrary changes to vehicle dynamics. Right now I am working on refactoring AWSIM and improving its architecture. (It is currently possible to change vehicle dynamics, but I want to improve dependability and control flow more)

If it were possible to reproduce the vehicle at the VPP Block level using VPP's community edtion, I would be happy to make it the default dynamics, but it would be difficult. I think a simple acceleration based vehicle dynamics would be better suited for AWSIM than using a vehicle halfway reproduced in VPP due to lack of spec data and models. (I am not criticizing VPP at all; VPP uses a lot of realistic data to make sophisticated simulations based on reality. Therefore, if those data are not available, then we will not be able to take advantage of VPP.)