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Topic Name: NIST researchers developed a laser-based ranging system to measures performance of auto crash warning systems
Category: Integrated Systems
Research persons: NIST Research Team
Location: National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States
Details
Engineers at the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed and tested a laser-based
ranging system to assess the performance of automobile collision warning
systems. Researchers in industry and at the U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT) will be able to use the NIST technology
to accelerate the development and commercialization of safety systems that alert
drivers to multiple, and sometimes virtually simultaneous potential crash
hazards—both from forward or side collisions as well as from running off the
road. DOT believes that such warning systems could reduce substantially the
number and severity of injuries to motorists and save lives.
Preliminary tests of prototype collision
detection systems with the NIST technology have revealed both potential
benefits of the systems and areas that need improvement.
According to DOT, of the 3.6 million rear-end, road departure and lane change
crashes that occur each year in the United States, 27,500 result in one or more
fatalities—about three-quarters of the nation’s yearly auto-related deaths.
DOT estimates that widespread deployment of advanced integrated driver
assistance systems may reduce such collisions by 48 percent. The department has
formed a partnership with the automobile industry called the Integrated Vehicle
Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) initiative to hasten deployment of advanced warning
systems in the U.S. vehicle fleet.
To evaluate the performance of crash warning systems, which generally use
radar, researchers needed an accurate measurement tool based on entirely
different principles. NIST researchers developed an independent measurement
system (IMS) consisting of a camera and microphone in the cab to detect the
driver warning, a suite of calibrated cameras to measure the distance to lane
boundaries and laser scanners to measure the distance to obstacles forward and
to the side of the vehicle. The system can be mounted on cars or trucks with
trailers and requires no modifications or connections to the warning system
being tested. The NIST system can detect an object to within about eight-tenths
of a meter from up to 60 meters away at speeds up to 25 m/s (within 33 inches at
a distance of 197 feet and speeds up to 56 mph.)
NIST used the IMS to evaluate the performance of two systems built by IVBSS
industry partners for a light vehicle and a heavy truck. Researchers collected
data in representative crash-imminent driving scenarios in which a crash warning
should be issued as well as scenarios that might cause a system to issue a false
alarm. Both systems passed most of the more than 30 tests conducted this fall in
East Liberty, Ohio and Dundee, Mich. However, the IMS revealed some warning
system problems in detecting whether forward vehicles were in-lane or
out-of-lane on curves or during lane changes. The IMS also measured significant
warning delays that resulted in test failures. Such problems are common in
automotive crash warning systems that must operate in real-time, at highway
speeds, and use multiple low-cost sensors to measure complex three-dimensional
scenes.
DOT is currently analyzing the IMS data and if the results indicate the
warning systems pass DOT muster, the next step calls for the IVBSS to equip
approximately 20 automobiles and 10 trucks with the warning systems. Volunteer
motorists and truckers would be asked to use vehicles on the highway for a
month. The DOT will analyze the data to refine estimates of benefit if these
systems are deployed in most vehicles.
In figure, Truck cab instrumented for NIST tests
of collision warning systems.
About National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), known between 1901–1988 as the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce. The institute's mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve quality of life.
As part of this mission, NIST scientists and engineers continually refine the science of measurement, making possible the ultra precise engineering and manufacturing required for today’s most advanced technologies. They also are directly involved in standards development and testing done by the private sector and government agencies. U.S. technological innovation and progress depend on NIST’s unique skills and capabilities, especially in four key areas: biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology and advanced manufacturing.
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