The Run-Off-Road Collision Avoidance Using IVHS Countermeasures program is a five year program sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The prime contractor for this effort is Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Members of the project team include Battelle Memorial Institute, Calspan Corporation and the University of Iowa. The primary goal of the program is to develop practical performance specifications for roadway departure collision avoidance systems. The program is divided into three phases. Phase I was completed in 1995, and involved the following four activities: (1) Analyse the roadway departure crash population to determine frequency and circumstances associated with roadway departure crashes. (2) Identify opportunities for intervention in the crash sequence and develop functional goals which a countermeasure could perform to prevent the crash. (3) Test existing systems for preventing roadway departure crashes and (4) l Develop mathematical models of potential countermeasure systems and use these models to develop preliminary performance specifications. Phase II of the program is currently underway, and consists of two primary activities: (a) Review state-of-the-art sensing, processing and driver interface technologies for their applicability to run-off-road collision prevention and (b) Design an advanced test bed vehicle for evaluating alternative countermeasures. Phase III of the program will involve the following efforts: * Construct test bed vehicle, * Conduct and document tests of alternative countermeasure systems, * Develop and publish technology independent performance specifications for roadway departure collision avoidance systems based on tests results. This report documents the results of the second of the two Phase II activities, design of the test bed, and serves as deliverable 8 of the contract. The first two sections provide an overview of the run-off-road crash problem, and a description of the functional goals a run-of-road collision avoidance countermeasure needs to address in order to be effective. Next, it provides a preliminary plan for the countermeasure tests to be conducted in Phase III, as context for the test bed design. The remaining sections of the report document the test bed design, include the hardware and software components, and the outputs provided by the system. Also provided are a procurement plan and schedule for the construction of the test bed in Phase III. (Author/publisher)
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