Image of a circuit board developed at VTTI

Electronics Labs

Researchers use an electronics laboratory to customize transportation hardware and software in the effort to reliably collect large amounts of data.

Transportation safety research conducted at VTTI frequently requires that test vehicles be equipped with complex data acquisition systems (DAS) to collect and store large quantities of detailed information that is available in a driving environment. Due to differences in vehicle makes and models, network integration systems within the DAS need to be customized for each type of vehicle. Researchers in the Center for Technology Development use the electronics labs to build and customize DAS equipment for a variety of cars, SUV's, heavy trucks, school buses, transit buses, and motorcycles.

Data Aquisition Systems

A technician soldering a circuit board in VTTI's Electronics LabInformation collected from various onboard systems is processed and sorted in the DAS, which is a "black box" unit that is typically installed in the trunk of a vehicle. The core of the DAS is a Pentium-based computer that uses the robust and compact PC-104 form factor. Also housed within the DAS are additional sensors, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes. Other technology utilized in the DAS includes the following:

  • Color, infrared, and black-and-white video with MPEG-4 video/audio compression and multi-channel binary data synchronization
  • High-precision, differential GPS with on-site base unit (Smart Road)
  • Doppler-based radar developed by Eaton (VORAD®)
  • Direct physical (haptic) driver feedback (pedal push-back, seat vibration)
  • Wireless communication (802.11) between vehicle and other vehicles or infrastructure
  • Removable, high capacity, shock-resistant hard drives for data retrieval

A DAS installed in an experimental vehicleDAS equipment at VTTI has the ability to collect data on a wide variety of variables, which include the following:

  • Color, black-and-white, and infrared cameras record external views such as forward and rearward, and internal views such as over-the-shoulder, face, and pedal area.
  • Vehicle network data such as speed, air-bag deployment, brake use, throttle position, turn signaling, etc.
  • Environmental factors such as lighting, glare, and temperature
  • Location information from a global positioning system (GPS)
  • The presence of nearby objects and their relative speed using radar technology (VORAD®)
  • Other data such as sound, acceleration, turning rate, and more