The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation characterized by the transition from hardware-centric to software-driven vehicles. This results in a variety of challenges, such as the increasing complexity of components, shortened development cycles, and evolving regulatory requirements that need to be met. In this context, our article explores the impact of UNECE regulations R.155 and R.156 on the technical prototyping phase in the development of mechatronic systems. Furthermore, we use the findings as an objective and examine the implications for the current landscape of prototyping research. Using a comprehensive case study in the German automotive industry with four OEMs, we investigate the current state of prototyping in the German automotive industry. Our analysis shows that although previous research suggests prototyping processes, they reach their limits in complex systems and cannot cope with the challenges of the industry. At the center of the conclusions is the need to develop a prototyping framework that includes a taxonomy of projects and forms the basis for a testing strategy to shorten time-to-market. As part of this, we propose the introduction of the novel term "phygital prototype" to bridge the gap between physical and virtual prototypes. Furthermore, we argue that product compliance should not only be integrated methodically but also propose concrete procedural steps within the prototyping framework.

中文翻译：

---

德国汽车工业的工业原型设计：弥合物理原型和虚拟原型之间的差距

汽车行业正在经历一场深刻的变革，其特点是从以硬件为中心的汽车转向以软件驱动的汽车。这导致了各种挑战，例如组件复杂性不断增加、开发周期缩短以及需要满足不断变化的监管要求。在此背景下，我们的文章探讨了 UNECE 法规 R.155 和 R.156 对机电一体化系统开发的技术原型阶段的影响。此外，我们将这些发现作为目标，并研究其对当前原型研究前景的影响。通过对德国汽车行业四家原始设备制造商的综合案例研究，我们调查了德国汽车行业原型制作的现状。我们的分析表明，尽管之前的研究建议采用原型设计流程，但它们在复杂系统中达到了极限，无法应对行业的挑战。结论的核心是需要开发一个原型框架，其中包括项目分类，并构成缩短上市时间的测试策略的基础。作为其中的一部分，我们建议引入新术语“物理原型”来弥合物理原型和虚拟原型之间的差距。此外，我们认为产品合规性不仅应该有条不紊地整合，而且还应该在原型框架内提出具体的程序步骤。