Examination of Detroit Assurance ^Ⓡ 4.0 Video Radar Decision Unit (VRDU) Records for Use in Crash Analysis

The Daimler Detroit Assurance^Ⓡ 4.0 collision mitigation system is able to assist a driver in various aspects of safely operating their vehicle. One capability is the Active Brake Assist (ABA), which uses the Video Radar Decision Unit (VRDU) to communicate with the front bumper-mounted radar to provide information about potential hazards to the driver. The VRDU may warn the driver of potential hazards and apply partial or full braking, depending on the data being gathered and analyzed. The VRDU also records event data when an ABA event occurs. This data may be extracted from the VRDU using Detroit DiagnosticLink software. This paper presents an overview of the VRDU functionality and examines aspects of VRDU data such as the range and resolution of data elements, the synchronicity or timing of the recorded data, and application of the data for use in the analysis of crashes. Various tests were performed using a truck equipped with Detroit Assurance^Ⓡ 4.0 in a manner designed to trigger VRDU records. VRDU data was compared to data collected from the J1939 CAN Bus and from a Racelogic VBOX 3i 100 Hz GPS Data logger.