AB Dynamics platform adds cyclists and pedestrians to ADAS and AV testing

UK-based AB Dynamics (ABD) has released its LaunchPad platform with the intention of offering choreographed control of all mobile features involved in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicle testing. The solution, according to Jeremy Ash, the company’s commercial manager, will help create complex scenarios that potentially involve multiple pedestrians, cyclists and cars that are all synchronised and coordinated with the test vehicle. LaunchPad’s power controller runs on the comp
March 27, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
UK-based AB Dynamics (ABD) has released its LaunchPad platform with the intention of offering choreographed control of all mobile features involved in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicle testing. The solution, according to Jeremy Ash, the company’s commercial manager, will help create complex scenarios that potentially involve multiple pedestrians, cyclists and cars that are all synchronised and coordinated with the test vehicle.


LaunchPad’s power controller runs on the company’s Robot Controller software. The proprietary TrackFi radio shares position data with other ABD controllers via the Syncrho interface, which aims to allow its motion to be synchronised with the test vehicle and other ADAS targets. The self-propelled chassis, at 65mm height, is said to carry pedestrian, cyclist, moped, scooter and animal dummies at speeds up to 50kph.

The trajectory of the system can be programmed using a graphical path generation utility to help simplify the process of creating and running complex scenarios with multiple moving objects.

In addition, the aluminium chassis comes with shallow sloping sides that allow it to be repeatedly run over. Batteries can be replaced without removing the target.
 
“LaunchPad has taken us a further step towards testing ADAS performance under every potential scenario that could arise, able to represent even the unpredictable behaviour of an animal on the highway. It’s one reason why 100% of 6437 Euro NCAP test laboratories use our products for ADAS testing”, Ash added.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • DGT installs 16 dynamic cyclist signalling equipment, Spain
    October 20, 2017
    To combat the 7,673 accidents that involved cyclists last year, in which 67 died and 736 were injured, the Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has installed 16 dynamic cyclist signalling equipment at four conventional roads in La Rioja, northern Spain, where the visibility is reduced. The project is valued €55, 000 (£49,000). The system can detect an isolated cyclist or group of cyclists on the roads and activate a luminous circumstantial signal which alerts drivers and blinks for a determined and configurable
    Read More
  • nuTonomy to test self-driving cars on public roads in Boston
    November 22, 2016
    US self-driving car startup nuTonomy is to begin testing its growing fleet of self-driving cars on specific public streets in a designated area of Boston. The company, which launched a self-driving car trial in Singapore in September, has been given permission to operate its vehicles in the city’s Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park. nuTonomy equips its vehicles with a software system which has been integrated with high-performance sensing and computing components, to enable safe operation without a driver.
    Read More
  • Qualcomm partner with LG Electronics on connected car solutions, South Korea
    October 24, 2017
    LG Electronics has announced a partnership with Qualcomm to develop a range connected car solutions as well as establishing a joint research centre in South Korea to develop 5G for vehicle and Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technologies for the next generation of autonomous vehicles. Both companies will bring R&D experience to the partnership, including knowledge of 5G mobile technology and an understanding of its importance in the deployment of a fully connected car platform.
    Read More
  • Waymo redesigns fifth generation hardware sensor suite
    March 16, 2020
    Waymo has redesigned its fifth-generation hardware sensor suite with the aim of enabling the scaled deployment of Waymo Driver autonomous vehicles (AVs).
    Read More

Highlighted Content