Development of a test target for AEB systems: development process of a device to test AEB systems for consumer tests

Rear-end collisions are one of the most frequent crashes in Europe. Common causes include momentary inattention, inadequate speed or inadequate distance. Rear-end impacts are among the most common types of road accidents involving injury e.g. Germany with an approx. 15% share in the total number of accidents involving injuries. Accident data shows that the rear end collisions with 65% and more overlap is most common. To test the effectiveness of advanced emergency braking systems and show up their performance to the consumer, a new test setup and assessment has to be developed. Based on the data of different accident research programs the most common rear end accidents are in a right angular with an overlap of more than 2/3 of the vehicle width. Impact scenarios could fixed to three situations, collision with stand still objects, with stopping objects and with objects of a lower driving speed. Impact speed up to 50kph and more could be seen in the accident data analyses. Taking into account the findings of the accident research, a test equipment needed to be developed to allow to test all kind of AEB systems in a longitudinal situation, simulating driving, slowing down and stationary condition. On the other hand a system has to be designed to show the consumer the effectiveness of different systems and therefore a target which must be able to strike has to be developed. A balloon car was the best solution for these requirements. In a fist stage the balloon target needed to be developed in a way that nearly all AEB systems could detect it to assess different systems and show the consumer the performance of this new technology. In a second phase the target needed to be improved in a more realistic way according a vehicle rear end, which would make it less easier to detect, but still taking into account the different information of the variable sensors such as radar, lidar, camera or PMD. In addition to the test target also a propulsion system is needed, which should not be recognized by the test vehicle, but allowing testing all the scenarios mentioned before. A ladder frame based system was designed which could be town by a vehicle in front of the target, while the target was place on a movable platform on this ladder frame. Stationary impacts as well as decelerating scenarios up to 6m/s must be realized with this device. INTRODUCTION With the development of passive safety features, vehicle safety has increased steadily over the past decades. The introduction of the safety belt and airbag were milestones in passive vehicle safety. In addition to the systems which mitigate the consequences of an accident, active systems for the prevention of accidents and the mitigation of their consequences have become increasingly important. With the launch of ABS, the first driver assistance system was successfully introduced some 30 years ago. The mandatory introduction of ESC from 2012 is another milestone in driver safety. While ESC is a highly effective technology to prevent cars from skidding or running off the road or to mitigate the consequences of an accident, it is more or less ineffective in accidents which occur in the same and opposite direction of traffic. Rear-end collisions are the most frequent same and opposite-direction crashes. Common causes include momentary inattention, inadequate speed or inadequate distance. While most rear-end collisions in urban traffic only result in vehicle damage or slight injuries, rear-end collisions outside built-up areas or on motorways usually cause fatal or serious injuries. Rear-end impacts are among the most common types of road accidents involving injury. Driver assistance systems that detect dangerous situations in the longitudinal vehicle direction are therefore an essential safety plus. According to the official statics for Germany and some European countries, rear-end impacts are the third most common accident type with an approx. 15% share in the total number of accidents involving injuries. The share varies greatly in some countries. For instance, the US 2006 share of rear-end collisions with stationary or moving vehicles was approx. 28% [1].