First Annual Report: Automotive Collision Avoidance System Field Operational Test

NHTSA · 2002 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report details the first year (June 1999–June 2000) of a five-year cooperative research agreement between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), General Motors, and Delphi-Delco Electronic Systems. The program aims to advance rear-end collision warning technology and conduct a Field Operational Test (FOT) to assess the performance, safety benefits, and user acceptance of an integrated Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system. The research is motivated by the need to evaluate these technologies with lay drivers on public roads, as comprehensive data on system maturity and societal impact was previously lacking. The project is divided into two phases: a two-year development phase to refine and integrate component technologies, followed by a three-year phase involving a fleet of ten vehicles for unsupervised public testing. During the first year, the team focused on system integration and subsystem development. Key technical activities included designing a forward radar sensor with algorithms for auto-alignment, radome blockage detection, and bridge rejection; developing a forward vision sensor for lane tracking using video cameras; and modifying brake and throttle control systems to respond to ACC commands. The team also developed data fusion algorithms to estimate road geometry using radar, vision, and GPS/map data, and created threat assessment algorithms to determine when to alert drivers. A high-resolution head-up display was selected as the primary driver-vehicle interface, with a graded warning philosophy preferred over single-stage alerts. Progress during the first year included the modification of engineering development vehicles and the successful construction of a Data Acquisition System (DAS). A pilot test conducted by UMTRI staff on a 94-mile route demonstrated that the ACC system was highly operable, remaining engaged for approximately 90% of mixed-route miles and over 80% of surface street miles. While the radar and vision sensors showed promise, challenges remained in areas such as radar auto-alignment on curves and vision sensor performance in low illumination. The team also completed preliminary hazard analyses and defined interface controls for subsystem communication. The significance of this work lies in its role as a precursor to the first extensive FOT of collision warning technology in the United States. By integrating mature ACC and FCW components into a cohesive vehicle package, the program seeks to identify potential adverse operational issues and gather market-based data on user perception. The findings from the subsequent field test will provide critical insights for government and industry stakeholders regarding the commercialization, standardization, and safety efficacy of next-generation automotive safety systems.

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• dms validation
• situational awareness

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• Methodological Resource: tool software, dataset resource, validation psychometrics