Skip to main content

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.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • PTV Group supports UK CAV project
    April 11, 2016
    German transportation modelling specialist PTV Group is working with UK consultants Atkins on a project commissioned by the UK Department for Transport which looks to simulate the potential impacts connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) may have on traffic flow and capacity of the UK road network. The project uses PTV’s Vissim 8 software which enables users to create a virtual testing environment and simulate all modes of transport, illustrating their motion characteristics and mutual interaction. User
  • Intel buys MaaS app Moovit for $900m
    May 5, 2020
    Tech giant Intel Corporation has acquired Mobility as a Service firm Moovit in a deal worth approximately $900 million.
  • Rekor: solving the data puzzle
    April 19, 2022
    AI can help transport agencies to deal with incidents on the road. Noam Maital of Rekor explains to Adam Hill how marrying up different types of data can be like putting together a 1,000-piece puzzle
  • Savari makes waves with its next-generation StreetWAVE units
    June 7, 2018
    Savari says that it is making roads smarter and safer with its next-generation StreetWAVE roadside units (RSUs). Savari’s advanced-architecture radio-agnostic technologies support both DSRC and Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) radio traffic in RSU as well as OBU (on-board unit) devices. Savari, a pioneer of V2X ADAS - advanced driver assistance systems - using DSRC, has now delivered cellular/LTE V2X solutions to enable communication between vehicles, infrastructure and pedestrians with mobile devices. The result is