Soft Collision Partner Radar Skin for Realistic Crash Avoidance Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Guide Soft Target (GST) systems for testing crash avoidance technologies face issues with radar and visible/infrared (VIR) signal signatures, leading to inaccurate detection and potential collisions, as the soft collision partner (Soft CP) may reflect signals differently from real vehicles, causing errors in testing.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Radar Reflective Material (RRM) and Radar Absorptive Material (RAM) on the Soft CP, along with VIR reflective materials, to enhance the radar and VIR signatures to match those of real vehicles, ensuring accurate detection and minimizing false positives during testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the Soft CP is made from soft, deformable material to minimize damage during impact, then the safety and damage reduction are improved, but the radar signature becomes inaccurate causing detection errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different material properties to different parts of the Soft CP. The exterior surface is made radar-reflective to match real vehicle signatures, while the interior structure remains soft and deformable for safety. This local differentiation allows the Soft CP to simultaneously achieve accurate radar detection and minimal damage during impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The Soft CP combines multiple materials with different properties: a soft, deformable base material for safety and a radar-reflective coating or layer for accurate radar signature. This composite structure enables the Soft CP to fulfill both the safety requirement and the detection accuracy requirement that cannot be achieved with a single material.
2Measurement precision
If the Soft CP body is made rigid to maintain stable radar reflection, then the radar signature accuracy is improved, but the damage to subject vehicle increases upon impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a distinction between the exterior surface properties and interior structure properties. The exterior surface is made rigid or semi-rigid with radar-reflective characteristics, while the interior structure remains soft and energy-absorbing. This allows the Soft CP to present a stable radar target while minimizing impact damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The Soft CP uses a composite construction where an outer shell or coating provides radar reflectivity and structural stability for detection, while the inner core material provides shock absorption and deformability to reduce damage during collision with the subject vehicle.
3Ease of manufacture
If the Soft CP uses simple geometric shape for easy manufacturing, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the radar signature differs from real vehicles reducing testing realism
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies radar-reflective materials specifically to key exterior surfaces and features of the Soft CP that correspond to real vehicle characteristics. This localized treatment allows the use of simpler geometric shapes while still achieving realistic radar signatures by enhancing the reflective properties of critical surfaces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution improves the accuracy and reliability of GST systems by ensuring the Soft CP is consistently detected as a moving vehicle, reducing errors and enhancing the realism of crash avoidance technology testing across various scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
The exterior surface of the soft collision partner is improved to have a radar signature more similar to the radar signature of a real vehicle. This may be accomplished by adding a radar reflective material to the exterior surface of the soft collision partner.
Implementation Method 2
A radar absorptive material may be applied to the interior framework of the soft collision partner to prevent radar from entering the soft collision partner, reflecting internally, and exiting the soft collision partner.
Implementation Method 3
The exterior surface of the soft collision partner may also be improved to have a visible and infrared (VIR) signature more similar to the VIR signature of a real vehicle.
Data Source
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AI summary
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 constructed to prevent radar wave from entering the soft body system.