NHTSA Works With Auto Suppliers to Improve Vehicle Safety
7 August 1997
NHTSA Works With Auto Suppliers to Improve Vehicle Safety
SAN DIEGO, Calif. Aug. 7 -- A versatile new platform for
conducting highway safety research was introduced by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation
at an automotive conference here today.
The Variable Dynamic Testbed Vehicle (VDTV) is a unique vehicle designed
to study how drivers and vehicles will interact with automotive technologies
of the future.
A product of industry-government cooperation, the VDTV program is
sponsored by NHTSA's Office of Crash Avoidance Research. The vehicle itself
is being built by ERIM International, a research and development institute
based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with support from a number of major automotive
suppliers.
The VDTV project is being showcased at the National Automated Highway
System Consortium's Technical Feasibility Demonstration '97 and the Future
Technology Conference of the Society of Automotive Engineers currently
underway in San Diego.
Using computerized controls and state-of-the-art electronic systems for
braking, steering, and chassis management, the VDTV will be able to emulate
the vehicle-performance and human-factor aspects of various types and
sizes of future passenger cars in real-world, on-the-road operation.
"When it is available in the spring of 1998, the VDTV will be a unique
new tool for researchers to study how drivers will interact with coming
technologies, especially for collision avoidance and emergency handling and
maneuvering," said Dr. Ricardo Martinez, NHTSA administrator.
"It also will be valuable for developing practical adaptations of new
technologies for future vehicles, and for on-going research in intelligent
transportation systems," Dr. Martinez noted.
The VDTV is being developed from on a Ford Taurus SHO vehicle used by the
Bondurant Driving School with modifications to enable dynamic testing with
superlative performance, braking, handling, and stability.
VDTV capabilities include reconfigurable electronic "by wire" steering,
braking, and chassis control including advanced antilock braking with
traction and yaw control, as well as active roll control.
NHTSA will use the VDTV for safety research and testing to better
understand driver-vehicle interactions. To the extent possible, NHTSA also
will make the VDTV available to the safety research community for research to
expand the knowledge base and develop advanced technologies for crash
avoidance. In addition, it will be a valuable tool for evaluating consumer
acceptance and the real world benefits of new automotive safety technology.
ERIM's program director for designing and building the VDTV will be
David McLellan, former director of engineering for General Motors'
Chevrolet Corvette, according to Michael Dudzik, director of ERIM's
automotive and transportation programs.
Participating automotive companies include Bosch Automotive, Delphi
Automotive Systems, Goodyear, Mechanical Dynamics, Inc., Milliken Research
Association, Roush Industries, and TRW. Associated with NHTSA in
sponsorship is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
SOURCE ERIM International
