/// AUTOMOTIVE TESTING\\\
picks up speed
Self-propelled soft target with integrated ABS can now reach higher speeds for testing ADAS and autonomous control systems
Soft target
The GST120 consists of a collapsible full-size foam car body mounted on a motion platform capable of high speed and equipped with ABS, above right; the moving target can be used in “swarm testing” to test complex autonomous control scenarios such as cut-in and cut-out, above left
U
K automotive test system supplier AB Dynamics has launched its Guided Soft Target (GST) vehicle, the GST120, which
is capable of safe testing at highway speeds of up to 120kph. The GST120 brings a new level of performance to the company’s portfolio of ADAS (advanced driver assist systems) test systems, incorporating ABS braking and the latest version of its control software. The GST120 extends the company’s range
of test tools used for reproducing real-world driving scenarios on test tracks, essential in developing driver assistance technology. The soft target takes the place of a real ve- hicle during the evaluation of vehicle collision detection and crash mitigation systems, and can sustain a collision without damage to it- self or other vehicles. The GST has compara- ble visual and radar characteristics to a real vehicle, enabling the test vehicle’s sensor sys- tems to be reliably tested. The GST consists of a dummy vehicle called
the Soft Car 360 fixed to a remotely operated platform. The Soft Car is made from collapsi- ble foam pieces. It has been adopted by Euro NCAP and NHTSA as the global vehicle target
14 /// Test House Directory Extra \\\ 2021
for ADAS testing. The platform carries the Soft Car dummy vehicle and can be overrun by an- other vehicle without damage. AB Dynamics developed the GST120 in re- sponse to customer demand for a moving test vehicle target that can not only travel at high- way speeds, but also stop rapidly to test in- creasingly complex high-speed scenarios used in developing driver assistance systems. Key advances include a higher top speed, in- creased battery capacity and anti-lock brak- ing system, all of which is essential for current and future test requirements, which are in- creasingly focused on autonomous driving. The GST120’s 4.8kWh battery is the largest
of any platform available on the market, en- abling extended uninterrupted testing. The addition of ABS enables rapid deceleration, which is required to safely test the perfor- mance of emergency braking systems in high- speed car-to-car following scenarios. “As manufacturers make the transition
from driver assistance to full autonomy, a higher degree of testing and verification is necessary, including safe testing at higher speeds than just the typical urban scenario,”
explains Dr Andrew Pick, track testing director at AB Dynamics. “The GST120 retains all the convenience features of our existing self-pro- pelled GST vehicles, such as being rebuildable in under eight minutes and minimising colli- sion damage to the test vehicle, but comes with extended speed capability and an en- hanced range of software tools.” The GST’s software includes a variety of
new tools specifically aimed at developing highway scenarios as well as post processing and graphing software utilities within a single integrated environment. These improve effi- ciency, reduce processing time and support the typical scenarios required for ADAS and autonomous vehicle testing. “We have to anticipate the testing needs of the industry as they evolve, so we can bring proven products to market in time to meet de- mand,” concludes Pick. The GST120 joins AB Dynamics’ family of
ADAS soft targets, which include whole vehi- cle and vulnerable road user (VRU) targets, all of which can be accurately synchronised with a number of vehicles for the testing of com- plex scenarios. THDx
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