What Is ADAS Testing?
ADAS testing is a service that conducts developmental testing of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), which are automotive driver-assistance systems.
ADAS includes various automotive systems that support driving operations to enhance safety and comfort for drivers and pedestrians. While the driver remains in control, vehicle systems can be partially automated, adapted, and enhanced to minimize human error and reduce traffic accidents. ADAS testing provides an environment for testing such technologies.
Uses of ADAS Testing
ADAS testing provides simulation and testing solutions for developing automotive ADAS systems.
ADAS is a driver assistance system that uses data from various sensor technologies to understand the conditions around the vehicle. ADAS systems include testing of individual hardware functions such as millimeter-wave sensors, laser radar, and cameras, testing of the on-board ECUs connected to these sensors, testing of the entire system in a virtual space, and testing of actual vehicles on a test course or similar environment. Various tests are conducted to simulate situations that may occur in a real traffic environment.
Principle of ADAS Testing
1. Technological Elements of ADAS
The realization of ADAS requires sensor technology for the external world, an onboard ECU that controls the vehicle body and other components, a fast and accurate onboard network, and an onboard locator. The main components include the following:
- Millimeter-wave radar: measures the relative distance to surrounding objects
- Laser radar (LiDAR): analyzes the distance to distant objects and the nature of those objects
- On-board cameras
- Position measurement sensors
- ADAS locator: Positioning system combining satellite positioning, gyro sensors, and vehicle speed measurement
- In-vehicle ECU (electronic control unit)
- In-vehicle networks
- Ultrasonic sensors (sonar)
2. ADAS Functions
Typical ADAS functions realized from the above-mentioned ADAS technology elements are as follows:
- Adaptive cruise control system (ACC)
- Forward collision warning (FCW)
- Collision damage mitigation braking system (AEBS: advanced emergency braking system)
- Night vision/pedestrian detection (NV/PD: night vision/pedestrian detection)
- Traffic sign recognition (TSR)
- Lane departure warning (LDW: lane departure warning)
- Lane keeping assist system (LKAS)
- Blind-spot monitoring (BSM)
- Rear cross traffic alert (RCTA)
- Driver monitoring system (DMS)
- Automatic headlamp light axis adjustment (AFS: adaptive front lighting system)
- Advanced parking assist (APA)
3. ADAS Testing
There are three main types of ADAS testing environments, depending on the development stage:
- Sensor simulation on a program in a virtual space
- Driving tests using miniature models, etc.
- Driving tests conducted on a test course or public roads by incorporating the necessary equipment in an actual vehicle
ADAS includes various sensor technologies used for each function to recognize the outside world, judgment technologies such as image recognition technology, and vehicle operation technologies such as steering wheel operation. Tests are conducted for each of these functions in the early stages of development. In the later stages of development, complex scenarios using multiple vehicles and soft targets must be created and verified in actual vehicles. A variety of weather environments are assumed, as well as pedestrians, vehicles, and other soft targets. In some cases, driving control robots are deployed to reproduce the driver’s operation with a high degree of accuracy.
Types of ADAS Tests
There are various types of ADAS tests, some of which are listed below:
1. Measuring the Distance to a Stopped Vehicle
AEBS (collision damage mitigation braking system) and FCW (forward collision warning) are important systems for avoiding accidents. These systems need to correctly monitor the road conditions ahead and the condition of the vehicle.
To test these functions, a system that can measure the distance to obstacles in real-time with an accuracy of ±2 cm using GPS is provided.
2. Indoor Test Systems
Indoor test systems are systems that simulate real-world environments with high accuracy based on actual road driving data. The system can reproduce various problematic scenes and enable evaluation on a table. Sometimes, an environment that combines the real and virtual is used.