What is ADAS Testing
Autonomous Emergency Braking/Forward Collision Warning
Combined autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and forward collision warning (FCW) systems have become one of the most popular ADAS technologies because of the immediate and obvious benefits they bring to drivers in all environments. Since the development of the first AEB/FCW systems, the requirements placed on them have become increasingly complex, as have the test protocols used to evaluate them.
As the go-to solution for manufacturers looking to develop and validate AEB systems, our RT and RT-Range S products have continually developed over many years to stay ahead of current requirements and provide engineers, manufacturers and test facilities with the data they need.
ADAS Tests
Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive cruise control (or active cruise control) systems build on the convenience of a conventional cruise control system by automatically changing speed to match a vehicle in front. When testing and developing such systems, it’s important to know precisely when and how the system intervenes, how well it acquires and tracks targets and how it performs in a number of different real-world scenarios. Measurements such as target bearing, distance, relative velocity and time-to-collision are key to the evaluation of these systems.[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XOiWHZP128[/embedyt]
What the RT and RT-Range S delivers
- Relative accuracy 2 cm
- Heading accuracy 0.1°
- Real-time birds eye view showing measurements
- Ability to track multiple objects in real-time
- Perfectly suited to open-road testing
Getting the measurements you need
To get accurate vehicle-to-vehicle measurements, an RT inertial navigation system and RT-Range Hunter is installed in the vehicle under test (VUT) and any target vehicles. RT-XLAN Wi-Fi radios then send real-time information from target vehicles back to the VUT where the RT-Range Hunter calculates, logs and outputs real-time measurements about the relative position of the target vehicles. The measurements being output included the position of both the Hunter and target vehicles, orientation and velocity. The current status of the ACC hardware can also be logged with the data via a CAN bus interface, or later synchronised with the measurements via a GPS timestamp. In addition to single-point measurements, the RT-Range S can calculate measurements between vehicles using a boundary perimeter shape that considers the relative position and orientation of vehicles, and as the system does not need line of sight, it can also be used to evaluate how the ACC system performs around corners.Learn more
AEB Car-to-Car Rear Stationary (CCRs)
The Euro NCAP test protocol for AEB CCRs evaluates the performance of systems as the test vehicle approaches a stationary global vehicle target (GVT), which in this case will normally be a soft target—balloon car. The test is conducted at incremental predefined speeds for both City and Inter-Urban tests and with differing amounts of lateral overlap between the centreline of the VUT and GVT. The test is conducted a number of times for each scenario and concludes when all tests are completed or the vehicle under test makes contact with the soft target.
Protocol accuracy requirements
Our RT and RT-Range Hunter products meet the requirements below and are well known for their consistency and reliability.- GVT and VUT axes to be in ISO 8855:1991 orientation
- Lateral path error
- Update rate at least 100 Hz
- Time is required as a synchronisation DGPS
- Position to 0.03 m
- Speed to 0.1 km/h
- Yaw velocity to 0.1°/s
- Acceleration to 0.1 m/s²
Getting the measurements you need
To capture the test data, the vehicle under test is equipped with one of our automotive RT systems (the RT is a GNSS-aided inertial navigation system), which receives differential corrections from either a local base station or NTRIP server to achieve 1 cm accuracy. The RT accurately measures the position, orientation and velocity of the vehicle in all three axes at up to 250 Hz. Measurements from the RT are passed via Ethernet to an RT-Range Hunter that is also installed in the test vehicle. The RT-Range Hunter performs real-time calculations using information from the RT and the geographic position of the static target (entered prior to the test). The availability of real-time measurements is extremely useful as allow test drivers to instantly verify test conditions and accuracies while on track. Back at the office, data collected during the test is easily downloaded, processed, tested and exported in CSV format using software tools that are included free of charge for further analysis.Learn more
AEB Car-to-Car Rear Braking (CCRb)
The AEB CCRb test protocol is used to test how AEB/FCW systems on vehicles travelling at Inter-Urban speeds respond when the vehicle in front suddenly brakes. Unlike the CCRs and CCRm protocols, which are conducted at different speeds and with different amounts of lateral overlap, the CCRb test is conducted at a fixed speed of 50 km/h and with both vehicles in line. The only thing that changes is the initial distance (headway) between the vehicle under test (VUT) and the global vehicle target (GVT) and how hard the GVT brakes.
Protocol accuracy requirements
Our RT and RT-Range S products meet the requirements below and are well known for their consistency and reliability.- GVT and VUT axes to be in ISO 8855:1991 orientation
- Lateral path error
- Update rate at least 100 Hz
- Time is required as a synchronisation DGPS
- Position to 0.03 m
- Speed to 0.1 km/h
- Yaw velocity to 0.1°/s
- Acceleration to 0.1 m/s²
Getting the measurements you need
Because of the need to accurately and consistently maintain rates of deceleration and starting distances during AEB CCRb tests, pedal robots are sometimes used to control vehicles towing soft targets, or autonomous robotic platforms are used. The RT series can easily interface with either and are compatible with all leading robotic/autonomous solutions. An RT and RT-Range S Hunter are installed in the VUT. Depending on the solution used, an RT will be installed in either the vehicle towing the GVT or in the autonomous platform. A local base station or NTRIP server is also used to transmit differential corrections to the RTs so they can achieve 1 cm accuracy. Communication between the RT-Range S Hunter and the GVT is then achieved using either an RT-Range S Target or, in the case of lower-profile autonomous platforms, an RT-XLAN Wi-Fi module. The braking profile of the GVT is controlled by the on-board robotic system using information supplied by the RT. The same information is simultaneously transmitted back to the VUT’s RT-Range S Hunter, which can then calculate real-time measurements such as range and time to collision (TTC). Back at the office, the data from both vehicles can be downloaded, processed, tested and exported in CSV format for further analysis, using software tools that are included free of charge.Learn more
AEB Car-to-Car Rear Moving (CCRm)
The Euro NCAP test protocol for AEB CCRm tests how effective AEB/FCW systems are when approaching the rear of a slower-moving vehicle. The test is conducted at a range of Inter-Urban speeds using a towed or guided soft target to avoid damage in the event of a system failure. As well as testing at different speeds, the tests are also repeated with different amounts of lateral overlap between the vehicle under test (VUT) and global vehicle target (GVT). The test concludes when the speed of the VUT is less than the speed of the GVT or if there is contact between the VUT and GVT.
Protocol accuracy requirements
Our RT and RT-Range Hunter products meet the requirements below and are well known for their consistency and reliability.- GVT and VUT axes to be in ISO 8855:1991 orientation
- Lateral path error
- Update rate at least 100 Hz
- Time is required as a synchronisation DGPS
- Position to 0.03 m
- Speed to 0.1 km/h
- Yaw velocity to 0.1°/s
- Acceleration to 0.1 m/s²
Getting the measurements you need
To capture the measurements required for the AEB CCRm test, an RT is installed in the VUT and either in the vehicle towing the GVT or in/on the target itself. An RT-Range Hunter is then also installed in the VUT while an additional RT unit is installed in the GVT. Normally, a local base station is also used to send differential corrections to the RTs, allowing them to achieve RTK integer accuracy of 1 cm. During testing, the RT in the target vehicle accurately measures position, speed and velocity, which it then wirelessly sends back to the RT-Range Hunter. As well as receiving the measurements from the GVT, the RT-Range Hunter in the VUT also receives measurements from the RT installed alongside it. Using this information, it can then make real-time calculations based on the position, orientation and velocity of two moving vehicles—including range and time to collision (TTC). Back in the office, the data from both vehicles can be downloaded, processed, tested and exported in CSV format for further analysis, using software tools that are included free of charge.Learn more
AEB Vulnerable Road User (VRU)
In city environments, collisions between vehicles and pedestrians or cyclists often result in serious injuries because there is little time for either party to react. The AEB Pedestrian and AEB Bicyclist tests are designed to test how effective systems are when a vulnerable road user (VRU) crosses the car’s path. A number of test scenarios are conducted under this protocol using adult, child and cyclist dummies. These scenarios include different approach directions and speeds for the VRU targets, the use of obstructions to hide targets from the vehicle under test (VUT) and day and night tests with different lighting conditions. Unlike other AEB tests, where the range between VUT and target is calculated using two points, the AEB VRU tests use polygons to define the shape of the Euro NCAP pedestrian target (EPT) or Euro NCAP bicycle target (EBT), while the front of the VUT is defined using a profiled line. The distance between the VUT and target is then calculated from the nearest point.
Protocol accuracy requirements
Our RT and RT-Range Hunter products easily meet or exceed the requirements below and are well known for their consistency and reliability.- EBT/EPT and VUT axes to be in ISO 8855:1991 orientation
- Lateral path error
- Update rate at least 100 Hz
- Time is required as a synchronisation DGPS
- Position to 0.03 m
- VUT Speed to 0.1 km/h
- EBT/EPT Speed to 0.01 km/h
- Yaw velocity to 0.1°/s
- Acceleration to 0.1 m/s²
- Polygon perimeter shapes
Getting the measurements you need
Many tests in the VRU protocol are very precise, specifying where a target would impact the test vehicle if no intervention took place. Because of the complex timing and acceleration required to ensure this, robotic platforms or pulley systems are used to operate the VRU targets. It’s also important for the VUT to drive in a consistent way, because any deviation from the driven line affects the point of impact. Because of the number of solutions available (robotic platform, beam-triggered systems), there is no typical scenario. However, what matters in all cases is that the target is triggered at the appropriate time and that the precise position, orientation and velocity of both the VUT and target are known. Using RTs and the RT-Range products, it’s possible to pass the information to any robotic control systems while simultaneously capturing the information and calculating real-time range measurements based on perimeter shapes. The ability of the RTs and RT-Range Hunter to work in complex scenarios is one of the reasons they've remained at the cutting edge of ADAS development. Back at base, the data from all sources can be downloaded, processed, tested and exported in CSV format for further analysis, using software tools that are included free of charge.Learn more
Blind spot indication system
Blind spot detection
Blind spot detection systems assist drivers by warning them when vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists are passing through areas where driver vision is restricted. This type of warning system is particularly useful when coupled with lane-keeping ADAS technology as it helps to prevent collisions when driving on multi-lane roads, but also has applications in city driving. To test and develop blind-spot detection systems, it is necessary to accurately measure the position and trajectory of targets relative to the vehicle under test (VUT). Engineers can then evaluate the effectiveness of the system by defining areas of restricted visibility and measuring the system’s response as targets enter into it.What the RT and RT-Range delivers
- Relative accuracy 2 cm
- Heading accuracy 0.1°
- Free post-processing software
- Ability to track multiple objects in real-time
- Perfectly suited to open-road testing
Getting the measurements you need
To evaluate blind-spot detection systems, an RT inertial navigation system and RT-Range Hunter are installed in the vehicle under test. Additional RTs are installed in vehicle or pedestrian targets before multiple scenarios are tested. For real-time testing, range measurements from the RT-Range Hunter can be output via Ethernet or CAN or data can be logged internally and analysed back at base where it can be post-processed and exported in CSV format. The measurements available from the RT-Range Hunter include bearing to targets, ranges, time-time collisions and distance to lane markings (these need to be surveyed and uploaded to the RT-Range Hunter). In after post-processing the measurements, it will be possible to evaluate the performance of the system based on the visibility of the target to the blind-spot detection systems.Learn more
Lane Support Systems (LSS)
LSS Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK)
The Euro NCAP LSS ELK protocol evaluates how effectively a system copes with situations that are likely to end in a serious accident due to the vehicle leaving its lane. These include when the vehicle under test (VUT) leaves the road by drifting out of its lane, crashing into oncoming vehicles after drifting across the centreline and striking another vehicle by changing lanes while being overtaken.
The tests fall into two types: those involving global vehicle targets (GVT) and those involving surveyed edges, such as the edge of the road or the edge of lane markings. The tests are conducted using prescribed curves generating different lateral velocities and timed so that vehicles will strike each other in specific ways if there is no intervention from the system being tested.
While ELK tests can be conducted with a human driver, because of the precise requirements in lateral acceleration and lane positioning, steering and pedal robots are often used. These are easily integrated with our RT and RT-Range Hunter products, which provide the information required to operate the autonomous systems.
Protocol accuracy requirements
- VUT and GVT axes to be in ISO 8855:1991 orientation
- VUT and GVT longitudinal speed to 0.1 km/h
- Update rate at least 100 Hz
- Time is required as a synchronisation DGPS
- Position to 0.03 m
- Yaw velocity to 0.1°/s
- Acceleration to 0.1 m/s²
- Polygon perimeter shapes
Getting the measurements you need
As well as producing vehicle-to-vehicle measurements, the RT-Range Hunter can simultaneously measure from points on the VUT to the edge of lane markings or even the edge of the road. It does this by referencing preloaded files, called line files, which contain the surveyed position of features such as line edges. Therefore the first step in most ELK tests is to survey the edge of the road and the inside edges of any lane markings using an RT and our survey trolley.
Once the lane markings have been surveyed with the RT, it can be installed in the VUT along with an RT-Range Hunter. For Road Edge testing, this is all the equipment required, apart from a base station broadcasting differential corrections in order to allow RTK 1 cm position accuracy. For the Oncoming and Overtaking tests, an additional RT needs to be installed in the GVT.
The RT-Range Hunter in the VUT receives position information via the other RT system and then calculates measurements in real-time. Position, orientation and velocity information can also be passed in real-time to any pedal/steering robot systems.
Once back in the office, data can be downloaded from the systems, post-processed, tested and exported in CSV format for further analysis.
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LSS Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
The Euro NCAP LSS LDW protocol is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of LDW systems, which alert the driver when the vehicle unintentionally leaves a lane but do not physically intervene. The protocol does this by driving the vehicle under test (VUT) along pre-surveyed lanes at 72 km/h and measuring when warning interventions from the LDW system are triggered as the vehicle crosses dashed or solid lines with different lateral velocities.
Protocol accuracy requirements
- Axes to be in ISO 8855:1991 orientation
- Longitudinal speed to 0.1 km/h
- Update rate at least 100 Hz
- Time is required as a synchronisation DGPS
- Position to 0.03 m
- Yaw velocity to 0.1°/s
- Acceleration to 0.1 m/s²
- Vehicle edge to lane edge measurements
Getting the measurements you need
For the LSS LDW tests, the key measurements are the distance from the outer-edge bulge of the front tyres to the inside edge of the lane markings and when any alert is triggered. To capture these measurements, the vehicle is installed with an RT to accurately measure its position, velocity and orientation. A local base station is normally also used. It sends out differential GNSS corrections allowing the RT to achieve RTK integer 1 cm accuracy.
An RT-Range Hunter is also installed in the VUT. The Hunter takes information from the RT via Ethernet and calculates the distance from the defined vehicle edges to the edges of the lane markings. Lane marking information can be pre-surveyed using the RT and our survey trolley. The survey information is then uploaded into the RT-Range Hunter for use in real-time calculations.
If a steering robot is being used to control the position and deviation of the VUT within the lane, information from the RT can easily be fed into it. The RT is compatible with all top-end steering robots and pedal robots such as the in-vehicle robots from AB Dynamics.Using the CAN acquisition feature, any alert triggered by the LDW system can be captured and logged alongside the other data.
Once back in the office, data can be downloaded, post-processed, tested and exported in CSV format ready for further analysis.
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LSS Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
The Euro NCAP LSS LKA protocol is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of LKA systems that physically intervene to keep the vehicle within its lane when an unintentional departure is detected. This is done by driving the vehicle under test (VUT) along surveyed lanes at 72 km/h and causing it to drift out of the lane at different lateral velocities. Of particular interest is at which point any warnings are triggered and the correcting lateral acceleration of the vehicle moving back into the lane. The test is conducted as the vehicle moves between lanes across solid and dashed lines, and as it leaves the paved area.
Protocol accuracy requirements
- Axes to be in ISO 8855:1991 orientation
- Longitudinal speed to 0.1 km/h
- Update rate at least100 Hz
- Time is required as a synchronisation DGPS
- Position to 0.03 m
- Yaw velocity to 0.1°/s
- Acceleration to 0.1 m/s²
- Vehicle edge to lane edge measurements
Getting the measurements you need
For the LSS LKA tests, the key measurements are the distance from the outer-edge bulge of the front tyres to the inside edge of the lane markings and when any intervention is triggered. To capture these measurements, the vehicle is installed with an RT to accurately measure its position, velocity and orientation. A local base station is normally used too. It sends out differential GNSS corrections allowing the RT to achieve RTK integer 1 cm accuracy. An RT-Range Hunter is also installed in the VUT. The Hunter takes information from the RT via Ethernet and calculates the distance from the defined vehicle edges to the edges of the lane markings. Lane marking information can be pre-surveyed using the RT and our survey trolley. The survey information is then uploaded into the RT-Range Hunter for use in real-time calculations. If a steering robot is being used to control the position and deviation of the VUT within the lane, information from the RT can easily be fed into it. The RT is compatible with all top-end steering robots and pedal robots. Information from the RT-Range S can be output in real-time if a separate device is being used to log steering wheel force, or that information can also be logged by the RT-Range S via CAN bus, along with any alerts generated by the LKA system. Once back in the office, data can be downloaded, post-processed, tested and exported in CSV format ready for further analysis.Learn more
Park assist
Park assist systems may not get the same level of recognition as fully-fledged ADAS safety systems, however, they’re probably more important to some drivers and are certainly used more often. When testing and developing park assistance systems, the position of the test vehicle compared to other vehicles and fixed assets such as kerb edges and street furniture is of key importance. More specifically, modelling both the VUT and any targets as polygons is essential to allow accurate measurement of the separation between the VUT and targets at all times. What the RT and RT-Range S delivers • Relative accuracy 2 cm • Heading accuracy 0.1° • Real-time birds-eye view showing measurements • Ability to track multiple objects in real-time Getting the measurements you need For testing and validation, park assist scenarios can be set up using real vehicle assets or balloon vehicles. In all cases, the test vehicle will be fitted with an RT GNSS-aided inertial navigation system (GNSS/INS). In most cases (because of the low speeds involved) a dual-antenna model is chosen to maintain the best heading accuracy at all times. A base station is also set up to broadcast differential corrections that allow the RT to achieve RTK integer 1 cm accuracy. Finally, an RT-Range Hunter is also installed. In order for the RT-Range Hunter to calculate measurements to assets such as other vehicles, it needs to know where they are. There are two options here. Either the vehicles can also be fitted with RT and RT-Range products, but this isn’t cost-effective unless you already have additional units. Instead, the vehicles can be properly measured, and once parked, their position and orientation can be entered as fixed values. The RT-Range Hunter will then accurately calculate the shortest distance between the test vehicle’s polygon perimeter shape and those of the parked cars. The kerb can be handled in the same way. Normally this is simply entered as a long polygon shape and assigned a location and heading the matches the real-world test scenario. During testing, feedback including all measurements and a Bird’s Eye View is available in real-time using our free software. Once testing has been concluded, all data can be downloaded, post-processed, tested and then exported into CSV format for further analysis.
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Speed Assist Systems (SAS)
SAS Speed Limit Information Function (SLIF)
The Euro NCAP SAS SLIF protocol is designed to asses the effectiveness of a vehicle’s speed limit information function warning and speed control. The SLIF warning is tested by driving at a speed 10 km/h over the posted limit and evaluating the entire warning sequence. The speed control function is evaluated at City, Inter-Urban and Highway speeds in several different scenarios. In all cases, the protocol is interested in when and how the system engages as well as the vehicle’s speed.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUy-5zBSM00[/embedyt]Protocol accuracy requirements
- Speed accuracy to 0.1 km/h
- Update rate at least 10 Hz
- Speed resolution to 0.01 km/h
Getting the measurements you need
All of our automotive RT INS products are capable of capturing the measurements required by the protocol, and there is technically no need to use an RT-Range Hunter, as the protocol is predominantly interested in the speed of the vehicle and when events occur, which can all be logged to the RT.
However, during development, it is often easier to use the RT-Range S as the system can track the position of up to 65,000 feature points, which can be tracked when they come in to view of the speed control system. This provides an easy way of capturing not only how the system responds to speed limit information but also how well it detects road signs. As the protocol also calls for some open-road testing, which is often used during the development stage, the ability to use NTRIP corrections is of interest to some customers as it removes the need for a local base station to achieve RTK integer 1 cm accuracy.
All data captured by either the RT or RT-Range S can be downloaded back at the office and post-processed, tested and exported as CSV files for further analysis, using our free software tools.
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