Simulation Scenario
Inputs, actors, environment, objectives and expected outcomes
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
3 bundles · 3 layers · 6 findings · 12 questions
Scenario definition What situation is set up and why.
Purpose and setting
The objective, environment and initial conditions.
Objective
The question the scenario is meant to answer or the skill it is meant to train.
- What question or training goal does the scenario serve?
- Which outcomes count as success or failure?
Environment and initial state
The environment, map, weather and starting state of all elements.
- Which environment and initial conditions does the scenario set?
- Which parameters are fixed and which are varied?
Actors and events Who takes part and what happens.
Actors and storyline
Actors with their behaviour and the scripted or random events.
Actors
The actors, agents or vehicles with their roles and behaviour models.
- Which actors take part, and how is each one's behaviour defined?
- Are any actors controlled by humans in the loop?
Events and triggers
Scripted events and the conditions that trigger them.
- Which events occur, and what triggers each?
- Which events are stochastic, and with which seeds or distributions?
Validity and reuse How far the scenario can be trusted and reused.
Provenance and coverage
Sources, version and the range of conditions covered.
Scenario provenance
Where the scenario comes from, such as real data, expert design or generation.
- Was the scenario derived from real recorded events, designed by experts or generated?
- Which version is it, and who approved it?
Coverage
Which part of the operating domain the scenario represents.
- Which conditions of the operating domain does the scenario cover?
- Which important conditions are not covered by any scenario in the set?
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- World Models
- Category
- Information and virtual systems
- Entry kind
- standalone-mm
- Navigation path
- NAV.INF.VRT.SCN
- Domain
- INF.VRT.SCN
- Industry
- Cross-industry
- Tags
- simulationscenarioinf.vrt.scn
What it is Filled
A simulation scenario is the specification of one situation to be simulated: its inputs, actors, environment, initial conditions, events, objectives and expected outcomes. It is reusable across runs and simulators; the simulation model that computes behaviour and the results of a particular run are separate records.
Why it exists Filled
Inputs, actors, environment, objectives and expected outcomes
Distinguishing features Filled
- It specifies a situation to simulate, while the simulation model computes behaviour and a run produces results.
- It can be reused across simulators and runs when written in a neutral format.
- Expected outcomes are part of the scenario, which makes it usable as a test case.
- A game world is meant for open-ended participation; a scenario has defined objectives and bounds.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Present simulation results as real-world evidence without stating validity limits.
- Change a scenario after a run without versioning it.
- Hide failed scenarios from a test or certification report.
- Use personal data from recorded events in scenarios without a lawful basis.
- Design scenarios that rehearse attacks on real people or infrastructure.
Only with a human decision
- Accepting a scenario set as sufficient for safety or certification claims.
- Approving scenarios used to train people for safety-critical tasks.
- Releasing scenarios derived from real incidents.
May
- Author scenarios with stated objectives, actors, events and expected outcomes.
- Run scenarios in a simulator and compare results with expected outcomes.
- Vary parameters systematically and record seeds for reproducibility.
- Report gaps in scenario coverage.
Moral aspects Filled
- Safety claims for autonomous systems rest on how well scenarios cover real conditions.
- Scenarios derived from real incidents can expose the people involved.
- Biased scenario sets can hide failures that affect specific groups or places.
Who is affected
- People affected by systems validated in simulation
- Trainees and operators
- Regulators and certifiers
- People whose recorded data underlies scenarios
Owners Filled
Steward
The engineering, testing or training team that authors and maintains the scenario set.
Master systems
- Scenario libraries and databases
- Simulation and test management tools
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- WM-VRT-003
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- A scenario is identified by its library identifier and version.
- Scenario files are referenced by path or content hash in the scenario library.
- Runs reference the scenario identifier, version and random seed.
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
Not applicable
The subject is an institutional or informational record, not a physical object with measurable properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- A scenario names an environment, actors, events, initial conditions and expected outcomes.
- Often confused with the simulation model, a simulation run or its results.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Scenarios can be parameterised, versioned and run repeatedly.
- Scenario sets can be analysed for coverage of an operating domain.
- Results can be compared with expected outcomes automatically.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- False confidence from scenarios that miss real-world conditions.
- Irreproducible results when versions or seeds are not recorded.
- Privacy breaches from scenarios built on recorded personal data.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- ASAM OpenSCENARIO for driving scenarios.
- ASAM OpenDRIVE for road networks used in scenarios.
- IEEE 1516 High Level Architecture for distributed simulation.
Context of use required Filled
- Used in testing autonomous systems, training, emergency planning and research.
- Scenario-based testing supports safety cases in automotive, aviation and robotics.
Sources Filled
- ASAM OpenSCENARIO, Association for Standardization of Automation and Measuring Systems
- IEEE 1516 Standard for Modeling and Simulation High Level Architecture, IEEE
Open questions
- Planned model: boundary questions, research and every section remain to be written.
Machine files
Provenance
planned (registry candidate) · todo
Built from: models/runtime-index.json, ver-cy/world-models/card-supplements/wm-vrt-012-simulation-scenario.json
Planned entry, hidden from the catalogue until researched.