The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded a five-year contract to Dynamic Research Incorporated (DRI) to conduct advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) testing for the organization’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
The ADAS testing conducted by DRI will consist of forward collision warning, lane departure warning, crash imminent braking and dynamic brake support system tests. All the tests will be carried out at DRI’s Minter proving ground in California, USA.
Over the five-year contract, new tests are expected to be added to the assessment program and will include the evaluation of pedestrian AEB (automatic emergency braking), blind spot warning, blind spot intervention and lane keeping assist systems.
A suite of equipment – some designed or developed by DRI – is used to carry out testing. Part of it consists of the Soft Car 360 global vehicle target, a 3D representation of a small hatchback, which can be used in most test scenarios. The Soft Car 360 and the GST Platform make up the guided soft target test system.
For 2022 models, DRI conducted 64 tests over 18 different vehicle models, but the company expects this number to grow as new tests are introduced.
“We are delighted to be awarded the NHTSA ADAS testing contract for a third time in a row,” said Brian Kebschull, vice president of track testing at DRI. “We have a long-established relationship with NHTSA and our team is heavily experienced in vehicle testing. With our own test facility and equipment, we are perfectly placed to conduct these tests.”
Kebschull added, “ADAS technologies are advancing rapidly and as a result, the quantity and complexity of ADAS testing are only growing. Validating vehicles to ensure that they comply with the regulations is becoming a critical challenge for the industry. It requires an increasing amount of specialized equipment and knowledge.”
