Program Description

The ACAS Program is segmented into well defined, non-overlapping tasks. The objectives of these tasks are aligned with the collision warning system architecture, as shown in Figure 1.1. The purpose of these tasks is to support and address the overall program goals as specified in Section 1.2. Table 2.1 presents a summary of the program tasks, relationship to collision warning system architecture, and the primary Consortium member responsible for this activity. Although not shown, some of the Consortium members provide support efforts for some of the other task activities. The ACAS Program Schedule is presented in Appendix B.

A summary of the tasks and their specific objectives is presented below:

Crash Scenario Definition (Task 1.1)

• To identify crash scenarios from GM's heuristic set which are relevant to the chosen countermeasures.

Countermeasure System Functional Specifications (Task 1.2)

• To define a vehicle level functional specification of the major countermeasures.

Vehicle Level Test Protocol (Task 1.3)

• To define a test methodology for each major countermeasure system.

Validation of Vehicle Performance Testing (Task 1.4)

• To support the vehicle level testing efforts of the other participants.

• Analyze the results of the vehicle level performance testing of each countermeasure system.

Development of Near-Term Systems (Task 2.1)

• To derive the requirements for the system from Task 1 and define sensor specifications.

• To contract the development of a prototype sensor to a component supplier.

• To integrate the sensor into a vehicle and confirm the concept with in-vehicle tests.

Development of Cost Reduction Components for Production (Task 2.2)

• Development of a low cost 76 GHz transceiver utilizing a single piece planar construction with MMIC chips.

• Development of high yield fabrication process and design of MMIC oscillators and components fabricated in Gallium Arsenide.

• Seek the best compromise between:

• Up-integration for reduced parts count, ease of chip placement, and reduced circuit size.

• De-integration into multiple (less complex, higher yield) chips which require more substrate space and manufacturing operations.

• The overall result must satisfy both customer performance expectations and production cost objectives.

Studies of Long-Term Advanced Systems (Task 2.3)

• Investigate more advanced forward crash warning situations.

• Develop techniques to identify and correctly respond to advanced crash warning situations.

• Utilize high performance forward sensors to facilitate the development activities.

• Provide a basis to integrate other ACAS developed sensors/system/tasks.

• Provide a basis to perform human factors studies.

Forward Laser Sensor Development (Task 2.4)

• Use available laser technology to design, develop, and demonstrate a multi-zone headway sensor for cruise control and collision warning applications.

• Produce several development units to be tested in the laboratory and in-vehicle.

• Support the requirement definition of a production intent system.

Multi-beam Planar Antenna (Task 3.1)

• Development of a 24.125 GHz antenna that has a detection pattern that “looks down the adjacent-lane”.

• Antenna design must support an adjacent-lane target zone 8-10 meters long and 4.5 meters wide.

• Antenna sidelobe performance must be compatible with target discrimination requirements.

• Antenna must feature planar technology in order to be consistent with manufacturing cost and vehicle styling objectives.

Low Cost 24 GHz Transceiver (Task 3.2)

• Selection of a foundry process that supports low cost fabrication of 24 GHz MMIC devices.

• Refine and optimize the design so that performance parameters are centered around the foundry process parameters.

• Adapt system design and performance specification to foundry process capability.

• Finalize the design and fabricate multiple wafer runs to determine process variations.

• Submit final design to alternate foundries for quote.

• Build and demonstrate prototype systems using the devices developed on this program.

Lane Sensing (Task 4)

• Demonstrate a robust Lane Sensing Function (hardware and software) operating in a test vehicle, on limited access roadways, that determines the lane path and the vehicle's position in the lane.

• Build on GM's LaneLok experience to develop a more robust Lane Sensing Function.

• Demonstrate real-time operation.

• Advance the state-of-the-art in lane sensing.

Wide Field-of-View (WFOV) Head Up Display (Task 5)

• Design and develop a reconfigurable Head Up Display (HUD) with a wider field-of-view and higher brightness.

• Fabricate these HUD units for demonstration in laboratory and in-vehicles environment.

• Install HUD(s) into appropriate vehicle(s) in support of advanced systems testing (Task 2.3) and closed-course testing (Task 6.4).

Initial Screening of Warning Concepts (Task 6.1)

• Conduct human factors tests/experiments, using a simulator, on a large number of collision warning formats for both visual and auditory warnings.

-- Warnings include: synthesized and digitized speech, tones, spatially localized tonal cues, visual icons and text.
-- Propose preferred visual and auditory warning formats.

• Subject reaction times, response errors, tracking task performance and subjective workload will be collected.

Development of Simulation Sensor Models (Task 6.2)

• Develop software modules of generic, forward-looking and side zone sensors.

• Develop software modules of GM-R&D and DE sensors.

• Support the development of the HRL human-in-the-loop fixed-based driving simulator.

Driver-Vehicle Interface Studies (Task 6.3)

• Develop experimental test plan for simulation driver-vehicle interface approach.

• Design auditory and visual warnings based on input from UC-Davis study, and determine requirements for tactile warnings.

• Develop a human-in-the-loop fixed-based driving simulator to evaluate driver warning systems.

• Evaluate preferred warning interface method to warn drivers of hazardous events in a realistic human-in-the-loop driving simulator.

• Conduct human factor experiments which enable subjects to drive in a variety of realistic environments with programmed scenarios.

-- Record performance data and gather subjective data.
-- Analyze performance and subjective data.
-- Provide evaluation of preferred warning.

Closed-Course Testing (Task 6.4)

• Evaluate accuracy and reaction time of driver response for several driver-vehicle interfaces.

• Validate results of simulator studies conducted in Task 6.3 with closed-course tests/experiments in the demonstration vehicles.

• Conduct human factor experiments which enables subjects to drive demonstration vehicles with programmed scenarios.

-- Record performance data and gather subjective data.
-- Analyze performance and subjective data.
-- Provide evaluation of preferred warning.

• Conduct Engineering tests to validate sensor parameters/performance, such as: processing algorithms, resolution and temporal performance, false alarm rates, and collision warning thresholds.