Crash Tests with Electronically Guided Vehicles

To obtain more realistic results from crash tests, the vehicles are driven by their own engine. Operation of the vehicles without driver is possible due to an electronic control unit integrated in the test vehicle. This system is therefore called Electronically Controlled Vehicle-Crash (ECV-Crash). Advantages of the system are mobility and flexibility of the crash configurations. This paper while bringing out the differences of the ECV system and usual tests discusses the special features of the system. Also head-on collision tests against barriers and especially with two independently driven cars is described and results are discussed.