Tests Characterizing Performance of an Adaptive Cruise Control System

The tests described here have been used to provide a preliminary checkout of the control functionality of a prototype adaptive cruise control (ACC) system being used in a field operational test of intelligent cruise control. The results presented provide an initial characterization of the headway control performance of the ACC system. The inputs to these tests are the speed of the preceding vehicle. The results of the tests are based upon measurements of range, range rate, velocity, transmission shift commands, and velocity commands resident within the ACC system. Numerical performance measures are derived from these data and used to characterize system performance quantitatively. Results from these types of tests could be used in assessing differences in headway control characteristics associated with various ACC systems.