VPI:Vehicle Programming Interface for Vehicle Computing

The emergence of software-defined vehicles(SDVs),combined with autonomous driving technologies,has en-abled a new era of vehicle computing(VC),where vehicles serve as a mobile computing platform.However,the interdisci-plinary complexities of automotive systems and diverse technological requirements make developing applications for au-tonomous vehicles challenging.To simplify the development of applications running on SDVs,we propose a comprehen-sive suite of vehicle programming interfaces(VPIs).In this study,we rigorously explore the nuanced requirements for ap-plication development within the realm of VC,centering our analysis on the architectural intricacies of the Open Vehicu-lar Data Analytics Platform(OpenVDAP).We then detail our creation of a comprehensive suite of standardized VPIs,spanning five critical categories:Hardware,Data,Computation,Service,and Management,to address these evolving pro-gramming requirements.To validate the design of VPIs,we conduct experiments using the indoor autonomous vehicle,Ze-bra,and develop the OpenVDAP prototype system.By comparing it with the industry-influential AUTOSAR interface,our VPIs demonstrate significant enhancements in programming efficiency,marking an important advancement in the field of SDV application development.We also show a case study and evaluate its performance.Our work highlights that VPIs significantly enhance the efficiency of developing applications on VC.They meet both current and future technologi-cal demands and propel the software-defined automotive industry toward a more interconnected and intelligent future.