IMPROVEMENTS TO A SOFT COLLISION PARTNER (AKA SOFT CAR) USED IN SYSTEM FOR TESTING CRASH AVOIDANCE TECHNOLOGIES

• Main Authors: KELLY, Joe, KEBSCHULL, Brian, LENKEIT, John, SATROM, Paul, SILBERLING, Jordan
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 15.05.2019
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; MEASURING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OFVEHICLES; SIGNALLING; TESTING; TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES ORSTRUCTURES; TESTING STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A soft body system adapted to form the body and exterior surface of a Guided Soft Target for testing crash avoidance technologies in a subject vehicle is disclosed. The soft body system is adapted to be mounted atop a motorized Dynamic Motion Element (DME), and when so mounted, is adapted to collide with the subject vehicle while the DME is moving. The soft body system includes a semi-rigid form with an exterior surface. The form is sufficiently yielding so as to impart a minimal force to the subject vehicle upon impact. The form may be shaped like a vehicle or a part of a vehicle. The exterior surface includes a side skirt made of radar absorptive material (RAM), radar reflective material (RRM), or a combination of both, which is positioned adjacent to the ground and is constructed to prevent radar waves from entering into the soft body system.