Euro NCAP has released its updated list of approved ADAS platforms and targets ahead of introducing a new range of test scenarios for 2023. Among the list is AB Dynamics’ LaunchPad product range (LP50, LP60 and LP80), as well as its GST 120 (Guided Soft Target), both of which have been certified, meaning that the company’s entire range of ADAS test platforms and targets are now approved for use in official Euro NCAP testing.
“There is an industry need for improved ADAS platforms and targets as Euro NCAP looks to expand its protection of vulnerable road users (VRUs),” said Dr Andrew Pick, AB Dynamics’ director of track testing systems. “We have worked closely with the industry, including Euro NCAP test laboratories and vehicle manufacturers, to develop products that enable the testing of current and upcoming regulations. The quantity and complexity of testing is increasing rapidly and the platforms and targets are essential to conducting this testing efficiently.”
For years the industry relied on ground-fixed, belt-driven platforms to move VRU targets, but this method required the entire infrastructure to be moved in order to conduct a different test scenario. The introduction of Euro NCAP’s 2023 protocols will result in more than 200 different VRU scenarios that could be selected as part of an official rating test, and mobile platforms, such as the models from AB Dynamics now approved, enable manufacturers and test laboratories to migrate from one scenario to the next quickly and easily.
The introduction of motorcycle-based test scenarios has also necessitated a move from ground-fixed systems to mobile as the ADAS platform needs to travel faster and further. The newly approved LaunchPad 80 platform is capable of test speeds of up to 80km/h (50mph) and utilises a rapid-change 800Wh battery pack. The platform is capable of conducting all current and upcoming motorcycle test scenarios.
To gain approval for its products, AB Dynamics was required to submit in-house performance figures for its products to show they meet the required specifications. The company also consulted with Euro NCAP laboratories and vehicle manufacturers to submit test data to prove that the products worked reliably and consistently. Additionally, it conducted back-to-back tests of its LaunchPad system against the incumbent Soft Pedestrian Target (SPT) and reports that it achieved identical results. In total, in excess of 250 test runs were presented for review.
The Car-to-Car Crossing Straight Crossing Path (CCCscp) test is an example of one of the scenarios due to come into effect in 2023. The scenario simulates two vehicles approaching an intersection perpendicular to each other. The test vehicle’s driver-assistance system will inhibit it from pulling away from rest if it detects a collision with the other vehicle.
In this scenario, AB Dynamics’ Soft Car 360 vehicle target piloted on the GST platform would represent the target vehicle. The speed and direction of the test and target vehicle need to be accurately controlled to meet at the intersection at the right time to fulfil the test requirements. Driving robots can provide precise and repeatable inputs to the test vehicle, while path-following software enables it to be choreographed with the target.
