Lateral performance measurements of wide-base truck tires

ADI Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canadahttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/926/2/81079.0001.001.pd

Integrated vehicle-based safety systems heavy truck verification test plan

Covers the period November 2005 to March 2008This test plan documents the procedures that were used to verify that the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) heavy truck platform met all its performance requirements. The document was prepared by The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) and Eaton Corporation in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The test procedures described in this document were used to assess whether the prototype heavy-truck integrated system performed as intended and met its performance requirements. These tests were also used to identify areas for system improvement to ensure system repeatability, robustness and readiness. The test plan describes each of the test procedures and includes the following details: 1. Test scenarios and conditions (e.g., speeds, closing speeds, road geometry, etc.); 2. Procedures and protocols to run the tests; 3. Pass/Fail criteria for determining repeatability and robustness; and 4. Performance metrics or measurement variables that will be used to evaluate system performance when compared to an independent measurement system.National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58190/1/100875.pd

Driver Behavior as a Function of Ambient Light and Road Geometry

OBJECTIVES To determine how ambient light (day versus night) and road geometry affect driving behavior,especially the speeds that drivers choose when not constrained by lead vehicles.METHODSRecently, it has become technically easier to observe how people drive b offering them longtermuse of highly instrumented vehicles. Much of this type of work has been done in connectionwith large-scale field operational tests (FOTs) of various innovative vehicle systems. Theinformation obtained is in many ways complementary to information from observation of traffic.Traffic observation often provides information about a large number of drivers, but at a relativelycoarse level and in a spatially and temporally limited context (i.e., observing how a large numberof drivers negotiate a particular intersection). In contrast, long-term use of highly instrumentedvehicles is more restricted in terms of how many drivers can be observed, although the feasiblenumbers are now reasonably high. On the positive side, data from instrumented vehicles canoffer very detailed information about driving behavior over many miles and many days.In this paper, we present results from a database of driving behavior that was derived from arecent FOT for an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system (although the data used here are all fromphases of the study that involved only normal vehicle equipment). The FOT involved tenidentical cars that were instrumented for a variety of types of data. The most important data forpresent purposes were: speed, yaw rate, location from the Global Positioning System (GPS), andpresence or absence of a lead vehicle within about 100 m based on the forward-looking sensorsof the ACC system. The instrumented cars were driven by a total of 108 participants, each ofwhom was given a car to use as his or her own vehicle in normal driving for either two or fiveweeks. The participants were sampled from licensed drivers in southeastern Michigan, andrepresented a wide range of age and driving experience.RESULTSResults will be reported in terms of speed as a function of horizontal road curvature in light anddark conditions, and as a function of driver age and gender, all for situations in which there is nolead vehicle within about 100 m. CONCLUSIONSCurrent evidence about headlighting suggests that drivers’ ability to see and negotiate theroadway is virtually unaffected by differences in ambient light, although their ability to perceiveand avoid objects on the road, such as pedestrians, is greatly reduced when headlamps are themain source of light. There is also evidence that drivers do not markedly reduce their speed inconditions of low ambient light. The current analysis allows us to determine how drivers react tospecific road geometries in light and dark conditions. This has implications for how well drivers’perceptual abilities match their driving behavior, and also for assessing the potential benefit of avariety of innovative headlighting systems that are currently being designed to adapt in variousways to vehicle speed and road geometry

Driver Behavior as a Function of Ambient Light and Road Geometry

OBJECTIVES To determine how ambient light (day versus night) and road geometry affect driving behavior,especially the speeds that drivers choose when not constrained by lead vehicles.METHODSRecently, it has become technically easier to observe how people drive b offering them longtermuse of highly instrumented vehicles. Much of this type of work has been done in connectionwith large-scale field operational tests (FOTs) of various innovative vehicle systems. Theinformation obtained is in many ways complementary to information from observation of traffic.Traffic observation often provides information about a large number of drivers, but at a relativelycoarse level and in a spatially and temporally limited context (i.e., observing how a large numberof drivers negotiate a particular intersection). In contrast, long-term use of highly instrumentedvehicles is more restricted in terms of how many drivers can be observed, although the feasiblenumbers are now reasonably high. On the positive side, data from instrumented vehicles canoffer very detailed information about driving behavior over many miles and many days.In this paper, we present results from a database of driving behavior that was derived from arecent FOT for an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system (although the data used here are all fromphases of the study that involved only normal vehicle equipment). The FOT involved tenidentical cars that were instrumented for a variety of types of data. The most important data forpresent purposes were: speed, yaw rate, location from the Global Positioning System (GPS), andpresence or absence of a lead vehicle within about 100 m based on the forward-looking sensorsof the ACC system. The instrumented cars were driven by a total of 108 participants, each ofwhom was given a car to use as his or her own vehicle in normal driving for either two or fiveweeks. The participants were sampled from licensed drivers in southeastern Michigan, andrepresented a wide range of age and driving experience.RESULTSResults will be reported in terms of speed as a function of horizontal road curvature in light anddark conditions, and as a function of driver age and gender, all for situations in which there is nolead vehicle within about 100 m. CONCLUSIONSCurrent evidence about headlighting suggests that drivers’ ability to see and negotiate theroadway is virtually unaffected by differences in ambient light, although their ability to perceiveand avoid objects on the road, such as pedestrians, is greatly reduced when headlamps are themain source of light. There is also evidence that drivers do not markedly reduce their speed inconditions of low ambient light. The current analysis allows us to determine how drivers react tospecific road geometries in light and dark conditions. This has implications for how well drivers’perceptual abilities match their driving behavior, and also for assessing the potential benefit of avariety of innovative headlighting systems that are currently being designed to adapt in variousways to vehicle speed and road geometry

Using naturalistic driving data to assess variations in fuel efficiency among individual drivers

Fuel consumption rates were studied from a naturalistic driving data set employing a fleet of identical passenger vehicles with gasoline engines and automatic transmissions. One hundred and seventeen drivers traveled a total of over 342,000 kilometers (213,000 miles), unsupervised, using one of the experiment’s instrumented test vehicles as their own. Continuous monitoring of hundreds of data signals, including fuel flow rate, provides a unique data set of driving behavior with a common vehicle. The results are presented for both the overall fuel consumption as well as fuel consumption for speedkeeping and accelerating-from-rest events. A substantial variation in the overall fuel consumption rate was observed. The differences between the mean consumption rate and the fuel consumption rates for the 10th and 90th percentile drivers were 13 and 16 percent, respectively, of the mean value. The corresponding differences between the 10th and 90th percentiles and the mean for both speed-keeping events and accelerating-from-rest events were up to 10 percent. While some of the obtained variation in fuel economy is likely due to uncontrolled or unmeasured factors, such as passenger and fuel weight, and wind, the data imply that the behavior of real-world drivers adds significant variation to fuel consumption rates. The present findings suggest the possibility of substantial potential gains in real-world efficiencies through modification of driver behavior itself (e.g., through training), or for electronic modulation technology between the driver’s foot and the throttle to modify a relatively wasteful driver into a more efficient one.The University of Michigan Sustainable Worldwide Transportationhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78449/1/102705.pd

Impact histories of Vesta and Vestoids inferred from howardites, eucrites and diogenites

The parent body of the howardites, eucrites and diogenites (HEDs) is thought to be asteroid (4) Vesta [1]. However, several eucrites have now been recognized, like NWA 011 and Ibitira, with major element compositions and mineralogy like normal eucrites but with different oxygen isotope compositions and minor element concentrations suggesting they are not from the same body [2, 3]. The discoveries of abnormal eucrites and V-type asteroids that are probably not from Vesta [see 4] raise the question whether the HEDs with normal oxygen isotopes are coming from Vesta [3]. To address this issue and understand more about the evolution of Vesta in preparation for the arrival of the Dawn spacecraft, we integrate fresh insights from Ar-Ar dating and oxygen isotope analyses of HEDs, radiometric dating of differentiated meteorites, as well as dynamical and astronomical studies of Vesta, the Vesta asteroid family (i.e., the Vestoids), and other V-type asteroids

Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety System (IVBSS): Heavy truck extended pilot test summary report

This report describes the findings and recommendations from the heavy-truck (HT) extended pilot test (EPT) conducted by University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) and its partners under the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) program. The EPT was conducted to provide evidence of system performance (alert rate and reliable operation) and driver acceptance prior to conduct of the field operational test (FOT). The results of this test were to be used to modify the HT system performance and functionality as required, prior to the start of the FOT. The EPT entailed use of an integrated crash warning system in a heavy truck by seven drivers, over a period of five days each, in the course of their regular duties as drivers for Con-way Freight at the Ann Arbor distribution center. The test lasted four weeks starting on November 10 and ending December 12, 2008; the resultant data represent 5,300 miles of system use. The extended pilot test of the heavy truck platform on the IVBSS program successfully evaluated system performance and driver acceptance. Driver recruitment and training procedures were tested, as were the driver survey and debriefing methodologies. The warning system and data acquisition hardware operated reliably through the EPT. However, the warning system had an alert rate that was higher than anticipated based on previous testing. Nonetheless, drivers were generally still accepting of the system. Valuable data obtained from the EPT have led to further system performance improvements in the detection of stopped and slower-moving objects by the FCW subsystem in order to reduce the alert rate, and these enhancements have been implemented into the heavy truck fleet for the full field operational test.U.S. Department of Transportationhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62989/1/102284.pd

Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) light vehicle platform field operational test data analysis plan

This document presents the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute’s plan to perform analysis of data collected from the light vehicle platform field operational test of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) program. The purpose of the IVBSS program is to evaluate the effectiveness of, and driver acceptance for, state-of-the-art integrated crash warning systems for both passenger cars and commercial trucks. The light vehicle platform in the IVBSS FOT includes four integrated crash-warning subsystems (forward crash, lateral drift, curve speed, and lane-change/merge crash warnings). The integrated crash warning system is installed into a fleet of 16 passenger cars, each of which is instrumented to capture detailed data regarding the driving environment, driver behavior, warning system activity, and vehicle kinematics. The cars will be operated by 108 randomly selected, licensed drivers from southeast Michigan. Each driver operates the instrumented car in place of the car they normally drive for a period of 40 days—including a 12-day baseline period. Data on driver acceptance for the integrated system are being collected through a post-drive survey and debriefings. The plan describes analyses that emphasize a summary of integrated crash warning system activity, examine how the integrated system affects driver behavior, and assess driver acceptance for the integrated system. The analyses are intended to be complementary to analyses being performed by an independent evaluator, the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center.U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration ITS Joint Program Officehttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64505/1/102497.pd

Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) heavy truck platform field operational test data analysis plan

This document presents the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute’s plan to perform analysis of data collected from the heavy truck platform field operational test of the Integrated Vehicle- Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) program. The purpose of the IVBSS program is to evaluate the effectiveness of, and driver acceptance for, state-of-the-art integrated crash warning systems for both passenger cars and commercial trucks. The heavy truck platform in the IVBSS FOT includes three integrated crash-warning subsystems (forward crash, lateral drift, and lane-change/merge crash warnings) installed into a fleet of ten Class 8 tractors operated by Con-way Freight. Each truck is instrumented to capture detailed data regarding the driving environment, driver behavior, warning system activity, and vehicle kinematics. Twenty commercial truck drivers from Con-way Freight are operating the Class 8 tractors for ten months in place of the trucks they normally drive. Data on driver acceptance for the integrated system are being collected through a post-drive survey and debriefings. The plan describes analyses that emphasize a summary of integrated crash warning system activity, examine how the integrated system affects driver behavior, and assess driver acceptance for the integrated system. The analyses are intended to be complementary to analyses being performed by the program’s independent evaluator, the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center.U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration ITS Joint Program Officehttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64453/1/102427.pd

Integrated vehicle-based safety systems field operational test final program report

This document presents results from the light-vehicle and heavy-truck field operational tests performed as part of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) program. The findings are the result of analyses performed by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute to examine the effect of a prototype integrated crash warning system on driver behavior and driver acceptance. Both platforms included three integrated crash-warning subsystems: forward crash; lateral drift; and lane-change/merge crash warnings. The light-vehicle platform also included curve-speed warning. The integrated systems were introduced into two vehicle fleets: 16 light vehicles and 10 Class 8 tractors. The light vehicles were operated by 108 volunteer drivers for 6 weeks, and the heavy trucks were driven by 18 commercial-truck drivers for a 10-month period. Each vehicle was instrumented to capture detailed data on the driving environment, driver behavior, warning system activity, and vehicle kinematics. Data on driver acceptance was collected through post-drive surveys and debriefings. Key findings indicate that use of the integrated crash warning system resulted in improvements in lane-keeping, fewer lane departures, and increased turn-signal use. Both the passenger car and commercial drivers accepted the integrated crash warning system and benefited from improved awareness of vehicles around them. No negative behavioral-adaptation effects of using the integrated system were observed in either driver group.U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration ITS Joint Program Officehttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/84378/1/102747.pd