Large scale distributed simulation for realistic multiple-agent interactive environments

A method comprising:

• interfacing with a plurality of distributed computing devices in data communication with a data processor via a data network;
• generating, by use of the data processor, a vicinal scenario for each simulated vehicle in an iteration of a simulation, the vicinal scenarios corresponding to different locations, traffic patterns, or environmental conditions being simulated;
• assigning, by use of the data processor and the data network, a processing task to each of the plurality of distributed computing devices to cause each of the distributed computing devices to use their own computing resources to generate vehicle trajectories and data corresponding to simulated vehicle or driver behaviors for each of a plurality of simulated vehicles of the simulation based on the vicinal scenario and the assigned processing tasks;
• receiving via the data network from each of the distributed computing devices processed data including vehicle trajectories and data corresponding to simulated vehicle or driver behaviors for each of the plurality of simulated vehicles;
• managing the processing tasks assigned and processed data received from each of the distributed computing devices, the managing including recording a particular distributed computing device as non-responsive or inactive when data from the particular distributed computing device is not received within a pre-defined time window and re-assigning the processing task originally assigned to the non-responsive distributed computing device to another distributed computing device;
• and
• updating a state and trajectory of each of the plurality of simulated vehicles based on the processed data received from the plurality of distributed computing devices.

A non-transitory machine-useable storage medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

• interface with a plurality of distributed computing devices in data communication with a data processor via a data network;
• generate, by use of the data processor, a vicinal scenario for each simulated vehicle in an iteration of a simulation, the vicinal scenarios corresponding to different locations, traffic patterns, or environmental conditions being simulated;
• assign, by use of the data processor, a processing task to each of the plurality of distributed computing devices to cause each of the distributed computing devices to use their own computing resources to generate vehicle trajectories and data corresponding to simulated vehicle or driver behaviors for each of a plurality of simulated vehicles of the simulation based on the vicinal scenario and the assigned processing tasks;
• receive via the data network from each of the distributed computing devices processed data including vehicle trajectories and data corresponding to simulated vehicle or driver behaviors for each of the plurality of simulated vehicles;
• manage the processing tasks assigned and processed data received from each of the distributed computing devices, the managing including recording a particular distributed computing device as non-responsive or inactive when data from the particular distributed computing device is not received within a pre-defined time window and re-assigning the processing task originally assigned to the non-responsive distributed computing device to another distributed computing device;
• and
• update a state and trajectory of each of the plurality of simulated vehicles based on the processed data received from the plurality of distributed computing devices.