Simulation of Vehicular Communication Systems and its Application in Higher Education

Vehicular communication systems are expected to be a key enabling technology for many benefits of Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) in terms of increased road safety, efficiency and decreased environmental impact of road transport. For reliable and safe operation of these systems, a thorough performance evaluation under all possible deployment scenarios and varying traffic conditions must be performed. Computer simulation can help to considerably speed the performance evaluation and prototyping of novel CCAM services. However, to be realistic, development of CCAM simulation models requires an engagement of multidisciplinary knowledge. Moreover, since the commonly used simulation tools are rather complex, a specialized training for future CCAM experts on simulation of vehicular communication systems might be necessary. This paper provides an overview of existing simulation tools applicable for development and evaluation of vehicular communication systems and services, presents a simulation stack for realistic simulations based on key vehicular communication technologies (DSRC, LTE- and 5G-based C-V2X) and outlines the possibilities of its application in the educational process by analyzing the underlying technical skills necessary for appropriate placement of related course in existing curricula.