ENDLESS

Product developments that require hardware and software coupled with intensive multi-level testing inherently carry high risks. The process is lengthy, error-prone, and expensive. Therefore, the starting point of the “Endless” project was the idea of making development more flexible, traceable, and thus more efficient through the application ofagile methods.

The strategy is as follows: The development of software and hardware takes place in parallel and is swiftly falsified by short feedback cycles for early error detection. The aim is to achieve the shortest possible cycles through a high degree of automation. In software development, this is already a standard practice, while in hardware development a HiL (hardware in the loop) system is used to simulate the hardware. This eliminates the need to create and test separate setups for each prototype.

Another key objective is the complete traceability of each individual development step. This allows immediate access to the correct version in the event of any modifications. The process thus generates extensive amounts of data, including images, analyses, and test results. This is where machine learning comes in. The goal is to utilize learning systems to identify error patterns, enabling early detection or even prevention of errors in future developments.

The project, funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) under the COIN programme, which promotes competence building and cooperation with universities of applied sciences and industry, is scheduled for 4 years, with 2 years serving to develop the system, followed by tests in various application areas. During this phase, the other institutes of the Department of Engineering will provide their expertise, rigorously evaluating the process. This ensures that we deliver a tested product to our industrial partners, who have already expressed great interest and actively supported the application. The project’s structure and support system promise a robust and reliable outcome, aligning with the high standards of our industrial partners.