NHTSA Works With Auto Suppliers to Improve Vehicle Safety
7 August 1997
NHTSA Works With Auto Suppliers to Improve Vehicle SafetySAN DIEGO, Calif. Aug. 7 -- A versatile new platform for conducting highway safety research was introduced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation at an automotive conference here today. The Variable Dynamic Testbed Vehicle (VDTV) is a unique vehicle designed to study how drivers and vehicles will interact with automotive technologies of the future. A product of industry-government cooperation, the VDTV program is sponsored by NHTSA's Office of Crash Avoidance Research. The vehicle itself is being built by ERIM International, a research and development institute based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with support from a number of major automotive suppliers. The VDTV project is being showcased at the National Automated Highway System Consortium's Technical Feasibility Demonstration '97 and the Future Technology Conference of the Society of Automotive Engineers currently underway in San Diego. Using computerized controls and state-of-the-art electronic systems for braking, steering, and chassis management, the VDTV will be able to emulate the vehicle-performance and human-factor aspects of various types and sizes of future passenger cars in real-world, on-the-road operation. "When it is available in the spring of 1998, the VDTV will be a unique new tool for researchers to study how drivers will interact with coming technologies, especially for collision avoidance and emergency handling and maneuvering," said Dr. Ricardo Martinez, NHTSA administrator. "It also will be valuable for developing practical adaptations of new technologies for future vehicles, and for on-going research in intelligent transportation systems," Dr. Martinez noted. The VDTV is being developed from on a Ford Taurus SHO vehicle used by the Bondurant Driving School with modifications to enable dynamic testing with superlative performance, braking, handling, and stability. VDTV capabilities include reconfigurable electronic "by wire" steering, braking, and chassis control including advanced antilock braking with traction and yaw control, as well as active roll control. NHTSA will use the VDTV for safety research and testing to better understand driver-vehicle interactions. To the extent possible, NHTSA also will make the VDTV available to the safety research community for research to expand the knowledge base and develop advanced technologies for crash avoidance. In addition, it will be a valuable tool for evaluating consumer acceptance and the real world benefits of new automotive safety technology. ERIM's program director for designing and building the VDTV will be David McLellan, former director of engineering for General Motors' Chevrolet Corvette, according to Michael Dudzik, director of ERIM's automotive and transportation programs. Participating automotive companies include Bosch Automotive, Delphi Automotive Systems, Goodyear, Mechanical Dynamics, Inc., Milliken Research Association, Roush Industries, and TRW. Associated with NHTSA in sponsorship is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). SOURCE ERIM International