The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) has approved a VRU ADAS target known as Soft Pedestrian 360 for use in official testing. The next-generation target, supplied by automotive test system supplier AB Dynamics and sister company DRI, can now be used to conduct all of Euro NCAP’s adult pedestrian test scenarios.
The Soft Pedestrian 360 underwent thorough assessment to ensure it met the specific requirements set by Euro NCAP. AB Dynamics also provided certification data and extensive back-to-back test data in collaboration with an established Euro NCAP lab, aiming to make the target accurate and effective for ADAS testing.
The pedestrian target includes features such as articulation of the knee, hip, shoulder and neck to mimic human movements. The gait can also be automatically synchronized with the position, speed and acceleration of the target relative to a starting point using the platform’s inertial measurement unit (IMU).
To reduce the possibility of damage to the test vehicle, the companies say the external hardpoints of the Soft Pedestrian 360 have been minimized using a modular architecture, which aims to reduce the mass of individual components that could contact the vehicle.
The servos (motors) that operate the limbs and the head of the pedestrian are also encased in foam and sit within each component. This is designed to protect the limbs when they are disconnected upon impact.
The target also features a slipper clutch that is designed to stop the servos from being back-driven during a collision. It is clothed in hard-wearing fabric that prevents the foam core from being worn away or torn apart.
“We are thrilled that Euro NCAP has approved the Soft Pedestrian 360 for official testing,” said Dr Andrew Pick, track test director at AB Dynamics. “Euro NCAP ADAS testing is expanding and becoming increasingly complex to better reflect real-world performance. This necessitates a highly realistic target so we are delighted that our product meets Euro NCAP’s high standards.
“This highly realistic gait is important for vehicle sensor systems to assist in ensuring they correctly categorize it as a pedestrian. The team at DRI undertook extensive research into gait characteristics to identify and recreate the correct knee and hip articulation angles. As a result, it is the most realistic pedestrian target commercially available.”
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