Vehicle Data Model Demonstrator Project 

The Vehicle Data Model Demonstrator Project intends to evaluate and prove that GraphQL's (Schema Definition Language) meets the modeling language requirements and can be used for VDM.  

This will be done by reasonably demonstrating key requirements are met in two sprints:

Sprint 1:

• Model Seating  domain (https://github.com/COVESA/vehicle_signal_specification/blob/master/spec/Cabin/Seat.vspec) in GraphQL SDL 
• Show workflow using widely and freely available tools from the GraphQL Community
• Round Trip VSS to GraphQL and GraphQL to VSS
• Demonstrate key requirements marked Sprint 1 are met

Sprint 2:

• Implement another domain of the Teams choosing
• Demonstrate key requirements marked Sprint 2 are met
• Show how this fits in larger COVESA picture - July 11

Team from Committed Companies 

Deliverables and Dates

Meeting Notes 2025-06-27

Agenda

• Evaluation Status - Vehicle Data Model Evaluation (please complete your company's column prior to Friday)
• Trailer Model/other Domain Model
• Meeting with Technical Steering Team Monday 6/30
  • Demonstration of Common Workflows and Tooling by Daniel Alvarez
  • Status
  • TST to vote (Go or No Go) on S2Dm and VDM becoming a chartered COVESA project 

Meeting Notes 2025-06-20

Agenda

• Sprint 1 - Evaluation Review (Vehicle Data Model Evaluation)
  • Walk through evaluation table
    • Notes:  
      • Review generally positive.
  • Go/No Go?
    • Notes:
      
      • The evaluation review was positive for VDM
      • All attendees were Go with VDM.
• Plan for Sprint 2
  • Which requirements remain to be met
    • Notes:
      • Add/prioritize issues in GitHub
  • Issues that require completion
    • Add/prioritize issues in GitHub
  • Action Item:  Daniel Alvarez to provide demo of workflow and tools at TST on June 30.
  • Next Model - Trailer Model
    • Notes: 
      • Action Item:  Ted Guild  agreed to point to/provide example
• Presentation to TST/Board 

Meeting Notes 2025-06-13

Agenda

• Current Status
  • Sprint 1 Ends next Friday, 6/20
  • Priority to do
• Walk though https://github.com/COVESA/s2dm
• Review VDM project backlog kanban board setup

Meeting Notes 2025-06-06

Agenda

• Walk though https://github.com/COVESA/s2dm
• Use cases page has been setup
• VDM project backlog kanban board setup
• Notes: 
  • Complete VSS expressed in repo
  • Confirm what we want nailed down in COVESA for VSS
  • Examples of specific features (e.g. Exporter)
  • Keep eye on big picture e.g. testing agains requirements goals
  • How much freedom will there be to change from implementation that has bee submitted.
    • The project will need to meet the needs of the stakeholders. 
    • Collaboration is essential

Meeting Notes 2025-05-27

Attendees:  Daniel Alvarez Sebastian Schildt Ted Guild Stephen Lawrence @amir Sayegh Paul Boyes 

Agenda

• Check status of BMW's potential to open source project to jumpstart it
  • When is go no go?
    • Daniel Alvarez  assures the team that BMW will get permission to open source what was demoed at the AMM
    • Daniel Alvarez Please provide updated status by May 30
  • What do we need to do if it is not open sourced?
    
    • We will need to create GraphQL files with appropriate metadata
    • Assemble required tools/application configs and related artifacts to show workflow.
• Decide on and finalize Must Have Requirement for Sprint 1
  • Everyone to contribute reasonable test cases and comments/review out of band.  We will meet again on Friday, May 30 to finalize
• Decide deliverable artifacts for Sprint 1
  • Guiding use case and flow/story.  
    • Daniel Alvarez rep
  • Seating domain defined in module GraphQL SDL files.  Will be placed https://github.com/COVESA/vdm_poc.
  • Associated tooling and any related artifacts.  Will be placed in https://github.com/COVESA/s2dm
• It was stated repeatedly that it is very important to create a tangible model that people can play with and learn from.
• It was mentioned that we should approach synchronization with AOSP in Sprint 2

Meeting Notes 2025-05-23

Attendees:  Andreas Achtzehn, Stephen Lawrence, Ted Guild, Paul Boyes

• It was discussed, there are roughly 3 stages the community is in regarding adoption of a vehicle data model.  This matters in terms of urgency and who will work on VDM
  • Forward looking community that is not tied to existing implementations (not using anything yet or looking for something new)
  • Those that have implemented (e.g. those using VSS today)
  • Those that want to implement as soon as possible (need something production ready to go now)
• Round tripping to VSS is very important for the mid term.  But for Demonstrator may not get there completely.  In other words it could be going from VDM to VSS.
  • Thanks to Daniel Alvarez there is an outline of an evolution plan here
  • If we truly round trip the metadata required to get to VSS will need to be in VDM (e.g. actuator, sensor,...)
• As GraphQL is a query language for APIs, will we be demoing APIs?
• When it comes to the modeling language, it is likely that Software Engineers, Knowledge Engineers, Data Scientist, Embedded Engineers, and Business Leaders will all be looking at the models.  From source to visualizations what will make it "simple" for them to view and collaborate on the model.
• What artifacts will we really be delivering with the Demonstrator?  We need to be very clear.
• Discussion fo what big block requirements need to be demonstrated first.  There was general agreement on the following.  Each of these big blocks have many detailed requirements.  The goal is not to detail and meet them all, but the ones that matter most.
  • Simple
  • Technology Agnostic
  • Modularity
  • Community and Tools
  • Round Tripping VSS
  • Workflow
• It was asked who maintains GraphQL and what the licensing is?  
  • GraphQL is maintained by the GraphQL Foundation (https://graphql.org/community/foundation/) which is now part of the Linux Foundation
  • See the spec for copyright and licensing 

Meeting Notes 2025-05-19

• Setting up VDM Proof of Concept Team and Milestones
  • The purpose of the POC is to show viability of GraphQL modeling language (schema definition language) to meet the agreed requirements here
• Identify Leads
  • The Board identified 5 companies committed to the PoC
• Must have only one lead who is on point for decisions from each participating organization.  The following were identified as leads or potential leads.  Bosch and Ford will need to choose who will be lead.

• Friday, May 23 Lead from each participating company is identified
• Leads decide on regular synch meeting - May 23
• BMW open source of what has been demoed at AMM (tbd - as as they can)
  • Todo:  Where to put it. Target is currently vdm_poc repo on COVESA GitHub (https://github.com/COVESA/vdm_poc)
• Agree on Goals and Requirements - May 30

• Vehicle Data Model Demonstrator - GraphQL
  • Must Have
    • Model Seat Capabilities - June 20
    • Satisfy agreed requirements - June 20 (identify must haves/nice to haves)
      • VSS Roundtrip (high priority)
      • Show Workflow (high priority)
  • Nice to Have
    • Show how this fits in larger COVESA picture - July 11
• To Do:  Add columns to requirements table with stakeholder/core team agreement/not agree and notes/reasoning
•  Report Out to Board
  • June - status of where we are
  • July - report out
    • At least the Must Haves
• Demonstrator - Ted Guild suggests we create a demonstrator

Meeting Notes 2025-05-09

• Agenda:
  • baseline goals and ensure they are documented in an agreed upon place
    • Notes
      • As previously agreed goals and requirements are here
      • All will contribute, review, and ultimately agree and commit  
  • agree on basic plan (starting point, next steps), document it and iterate forward 
    • Notes
      • Milestones
        • agree on goals and requirements (May 30)
        • create demo/prove the concept with subset domain of VSS (e.g. Seating) (June 20)
        • on next chosen domain (July 11)
      • It was requested that we should have 3 hour working session instead of weekly meetings
• Notes
  • VDM is needed for evolution/longevity    
  • Clearly express why VDM is needed - see requirements
    • Align internal teams
    • Model flexibility
    • Leverage tooling from large open source project 
  • Need commitment from those involved
  • Don't use VSS repository for VDM - VDM is not intended to affect VSS 
  • Socialize with Board and Technical Steering Team
  • Small group meetings.  We need to show progress on the topic.
  • Suggest could use part of the VSS meeting time weekly, as available and needed, for VDM work (No.. Do not want to disrupt VSS)

Meeting Notes 2025-04-25

Action Items from last meeting:

• Please review and contribute requirements and solutions here.

Agenda:

• Recap of requirements and solutions here.
• Need for business value requirements that resonate with Data Providers/OEMs and Consumers explain value
• Propose/pickup path forward - Making it real
  • Implement Seating in GraphQL?

Background:

• Proposals to date Data Models and Ontologies#ProposalsforevolvingVSS
• Most Recent Proposals Vehicle DATA Specification
• Requirements Table VSS Next Requirements
• Enhancements and Gaps - Status - Examples 

Meeting Notes 2025-04-04

• Ford to present
• Review Vehicle Data Model Requirements and Proposed Solutions

Meeting Notes 2025-03-28

• Attendees
  • BMW, ETAS, Bosch, COVESA, Ford, Geotab, Renesas, RTI
• Daniel Alvarez BMW to presented a proposal Toward a Vehicle Data Model
  
  • • Vehicle Data Model Requirements and Proposed Solutions 
    • Earlier detailed version COVESA_Towards vehicle DATA specification_AMM_04.2024.pdf at the spring AMM in Gothenburg in April of 2024
• The following IDLs were discussed/suggested
  • PyIDL

  • OMG-IDL - https://www.omg.org/spec/IDL/4.2/About-ID

  • 
    

    GraphQL
• There is a desire to use something that has a large community and is well established
• Learning curve is critical as well.  Needs to work for Engineer and Data Scientist
• Action Item
• All attendees to contribute toward requirements and recommend proposed solutions here:  Vehicle Data Model Requirements and Proposed Solutions
  
  
  Background:
  
  • Proposals to date Data Models and Ontologies#ProposalsforevolvingVSS
  • Most Recent Proposals Vehicle DATA Specification
  • Requirements Table VSS Next Requirements
  • Enhancements and Gaps - Status - Examples