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ERIM International, Inc. Develops Versatile New Tool

5 August 1999

ERIM International, Inc. Develops Versatile New Tool That Advances Auto Safety Research

    TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Aug. 5 -- A versatile new
high-technology tool is going to work for automotive safety research in the
21st century.
    A unique vehicle fitted with advanced systems and computerized controls
was delivered to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in
July.  It was developed and built by the Automotive and Transportation Center
of ERIM International in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with support from major
automotive supplier companies.
    Named the Variable Dynamic Testbed Vehicle (VDTV), it features complete
"drive by wire" systems which will enable researchers to study how drivers and
vehicles will interact with a variety of new technologies that will be
installed in new cars in the near future, according to Michael Dudzik,
director of the ERIM Automotive and Transportation Center.
    Using the VDTV's computerized controls and state-of-the-art electronic
systems for braking, steering, throttle and chassis management, safety
researchers will be able to emulate the vehicle performance and human factors
of the many types and sizes of the vehicles that will be on North American
highways in the years 2000 to 2010, Dudzik said.
    The VDTV will enable researchers to study how drivers will interact with
coming technologies, especially for collision-avoidance and emergency handling
and maneuvering, he explained.  It will also be valuable for developing
practical adaptations and evaluating consumer acceptance and real world
benefits of new technologies for future vehicles.
    Automotive companies participating in the $2.5 million VDTV program are
Bosch Automotive, Delphi Automotive Systems, Goodyear, Mechanical Dynamics,
Inc., Milliken Research Association, Roush Industries, and TRW.
    ERIM's director for designing and building the VDTV is David McLellan,
former director of engineering for General Motors' Chevrolet Corvette. The
program manager is Don Duncan, former manager of worldwide mobile
communications for Ford Motor Company's Electronics Division.  The VDTV is
based on a Ford Taurus SHO vehicle used by the Bondurant Driving School,
modified to enable dynamic testing with superlative performance, braking,
handling, and stability.  Its capabilities include reconfigurable electronic
"by wire" steering, braking, and chassis control including advanced antilock
braking with traction and yaw control.
    A product of industry-government cooperation, it is sponsored under the
research program of NHTSA's Office of Crash Avoidance Research and procured
through the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
    ERIM International's automotive research activities include systems
engineering and integration of vehicle electronics, vehicle navigation
systems, vehicle-based data acquisition systems, advanced safety systems and
advanced traffic management and traveler information systems.
    With its headquarters and laboratory facilities in Ann Arbor, Michigan,
ERIM International, Inc. has a staff of 500 and annually conducts more than
$80 million in contract research and development, research consortium
management, and technology licensing.  ERIM was founded in 1946 as a research
laboratory of the University of Michigan College of Engineering, and ERIM
International has been a private corporation since 1997.