Browse Topic: Active safety systems

Items (2,032)
Active collision avoidance methods are crucial components of vehicle active safety systems, which can effectively prevent collisions or mitigate collision-induced losses. To address the limitations of existing methods, particularly their insufficient foresight in dynamic traffic environments, this paper proposes an active collision avoidance control method based on driving intention recognition and an improved Driving Safety Field (DSF) model to enable more proactive and stable collision avoidance. First, a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is trained using vehicle trajectory data from a public dataset to accurately identify the driving intentions of the obstacle vehicles, including Lane Change Left (LCL), Lane Keeping (LK), and Lane Change Right (LCR). Then, an improved potential field model is established, which incorporates vehicle acceleration to more comprehensively quantify the driving risk faced by the host vehicle within the DSF model framework. Subsequently, an active collision
Pan, YuxiangChen, JinWang, HaitaoBai, Xianxu
Letter from the Guest Editor
Tylko, Suzanne
NHTSA is conducting research to evaluate the current state-of-the-art technology for lane departure warning (LDW) and lane-keeping assistance (LKA) technology. NHTSA is undertaking research to understand the nature of real-world lane departures and recovery behaviors. While some information about lane departures can be learned from crash datasets, the purpose of this work was to mine simulator datasets for lane departures, analyze them in greater detail than is possible from crash reports or naturalistic studies, and link their characteristics to driver drowsiness. The objective of the study was to determine whether there are differences in lane departure characteristics as a function of driver drowsiness. This research used a novel approach by combining data from six different driving simulator studies on driver drowsiness. The dataset included a sample of 380 drivers. Study drives occurred during overnight hours after periods of sleep deprivation, with participants being awake for at
Schwarz, ChrisGaspar, JohnShull, EmilyVenegas, Michael
Programs that teach older drivers how to confidently and competently use advanced vehicle technologies (AVTs) are limited. The MOVETech study evaluated a training program specifically designed to teach older drivers how to use these technologies. Participants (n = 119) were randomized to the intervention (training program) or control group (brochure). The intervention involved an in-person classroom education session on the use and benefits of AVTs, and an on-road driving session where participants drove along a pre-defined route in a dual-controlled vehicle with instruction on AVT use by a driving instructor. All participants completed in-person and telephone assessments at baseline and 3 months. Driving performance and on-road AVT competence assessments were the primary outcomes. Self-reported driving confidence, competence, and confidence in use of AVT, crashes, citations, and count of vehicle damage were the secondary outcomes. Program fidelity was also evaluated using a checklist
Nguyen, HelenRen, KerrieCoxon, KristyNeville, NickO’Donnell, JoanCheal, BethBrown, JulieKeay, Lisa
Roadway departures remain a major cause of crashes, injuries, and fatalities on U.S. roads. Technologies such as lane keeping assist (LKA) and lane centering assist (LCA) can help mitigate these crashes, but their development involves extensive characterization of the parameter space in which they operate. Lane and road departures (LDs/RDs) and lane changes (LCs) must be systematically described and quantified to distinguish kinematic features, identify contributing factors, and benchmark system influence on lateral control. This study developed a unified pipeline to mine over 36 million miles of naturalistic driving study (NDS) data collected from more than 3800 participants. The pipeline integrates various types of signals to detect roadway boundary crossings, classify LKA-relevant scenarios, and extract roadway, driver, environmental, and assistance-related parameters. Lane keeping epochs with and without LKA were also extracted to quantify system influence on lateral control. In
Ali, GibranTerranova, PaoloWilliams, VickiHolley, DustinSaffy, JoshuaAntona-Makoshi, JacoboKefauver, KevinShull, EmilyLi, EricVenegas, Michael
The objective of this study was to characterize and compare pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB) pulses in modern light vehicles to understand the loading environment that vehicle occupants are being exposed to during PAEB maneuvers. PAEB tests (n = 8008) conducted using 2018–2023 vehicle model years were analyzed. Pulse, vehicle, and impact characteristics (e.g., jerk, peak acceleration, pedestrian scenario, etc.) were derived from each PAEB test. Two k-means clustering analyses were used to group PAEB pulses with and without target collisions based on their similarity between characteristics. One-way ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests were performed on the PAEB pulse characteristics to examine differences between clusters (p < 0.05). Two non-collision clusters (NC1 and NC2) were identified for PAEB pulses without collisions: NC1 had a statistically significant lower jerk (0.8 ± 0.4 g/s) and peak acceleration (1.0 ± 0.1 g) compared to NC2 (1.6 ± 0.8 g/s and 0.9 ± 0.1 g
Witmer, MaitlandKidd, DavidGraci, Valentina
While an enlarged lead time from risk notifications to collisions is widely acknowledged to facilitate safe driving, it remains challenging to effectively notify drivers of invisible risks and non-apparent risks coming from uncertain behaviors on the part of road users. The current study examined whether verbal notifications are able to assist early awareness of predictive risks. We also attempted to identify human and environmental factors that could possibly improve the effectiveness of predictive risk information. Twenty-eight licensed drivers participated in a public road test conducted in two different urban areas on 3 days. They drove predefined courses on which potential risk locations were identified prior to the test, using a sport utility vehicle equipped with an automatic verbal notification system triggered based on the distance to the potential risk locations. After passing through the locations each time, the participants were instructed to verbally evaluate the shift in
Maruyama, MasakiKoyama, KeiichiroEzaki, ToruSakamoto, JunichiSawada, YutaMatsuoka, Takahiro
This research examined the performance of SAE Level 2 (L2) advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in crash-imminent scenarios (CIS), with particular attention to how vehicle configuration like body style and powertrain (internal combustion engine, plug-in hybrid, electric vehicle) influences vehicle system performance. The objectives were to (1) identify CIS relevant to L2-equipped vehicles using crash databases and naturalistic driving studies (NDSs), (2) develop scenario-based test procedures and test matrices, and (3) evaluate system and vehicle responses across configurations and conditions. Multiple crash data sources were analyzed, including NHTSA’s Standing General Order dataset of L2-related crashes, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the Crash Report Sampling System, and NDS data from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute L2 NDS. Coded variable analyses from the datasets identified three common CIS: lane and road
Beale, GregoryKefauver, KevinVenegas, MichaelLi, EricChen, JayHuggins, StevenGuduri, BalachandarLlaneras, Eddy
Drivers frequently encounter Type II dilemma zones at signalized intersections, where the decision to stop or proceed during the onset of a yellow indication can be ambiguous. Decision-making relies on drivers’ expectations of the yellow change interval duration and behavioral factors. While boundaries of these zones are well studied, less is known about how familiar drivers are with their local yellow indication laws, which vary from state to state, and whether their typical reactions to yellow indications align with the laws. Existing interventions like signal timing adjustments, improved vehicle detection, and advance warning signs reduce the number of drivers caught in dilemma zones but may not reach distracted drivers. In-vehicle alerts tailored to dilemma zone scenarios are a potential solution not yet implemented widely in North America. This study addresses how drivers may interpret these alerts. A web-based survey of 640 licensed drivers in Michigan and Washington (ages 18–85
Anderson, ErikaJashami, HishamAhmed, AnannaHurwitz, David
To reduce traffic fatalities through vehicle safety measures, particular attention must be given to cyclist-related fatalities. Clarifying the characteristics of hazardous events leading to cyclist fatalities, not only by vehicle speed range but also by vehicle type, is essential and should be based on analyses of real-world accident data. Accordingly, this study aimed to characterize fatal cyclist accidents involving vehicles traveling at low and high speeds in Japan. We used macro accident data from the Japanese Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis covering the period from 2013 to 2022. Based on nine vehicle types, we investigated the effects of road type, vehicle behavior, and accident type on cyclist fatalities. Additionally, we identified the five most frequent accident scenarios separately for each low- and high-speed category. At signalized intersections, the proportions of cyclist fatalities involving vehicles traveling at low speeds were higher than those
Matsui, YasuhiroOikawa, Shoko
Vehicle maneuver data are essential for perception and planning in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving systems (ADS). While high-quality annotations improve machine-learning performance, existing maneuver datasets remain fragmented, labor-intensive to annotate, and inconsistent in semantic richness. Challenges persist in scalability, interpretability, and contextual labeling. This article establishes a structured framework for maneuver data analysis by combining a systematic review of existing resources with the development of a new multimodal dataset. First, we conduct a systematic review of publicly available datasets such as HDD, KITTI, BDD-X, D2CAV, Brain4Cars, DrivingDojo, and the Driving Behavior Database. We further evaluate the data modality and sensor configurations including event data recorders, onboard logging systems, and smartphone sensing. We then propose the Matt3r Data Collection System with modern metadata management, which integrates video
Bai, LingYuan, ChongyuOsman, IslamLin, ZiruiMirab, GhazalSaheb, AmirParnian, NedaShapiro, EvgenyShehata, Mohamed S.Liu, Zheng
This study focused on investigating how tire grip performance on dry, wet, and snowy road surfaces varied with the different level of tire wear. New, 50% worn, and end-of-life tires were prepared following worn tire preparation standards. Additionally, worn tires obtained under real driving conditions in the market were used. Tire grip performances on dry, wet and snowy roads were characterized respectively by using an indoor flat belt machine, an outdoor trailer, and a specially designed snow truck. The results demonstrated an evolution of grip performance as a function of tire wear. The study identified differences in impact between worn tire preparation methods —real driving versus artificial—particularly on snowy road surfaces. Furthermore, the effects of tire stiffness, reduced tread depth, and tread surface roughness of worn tires were investigated for each type of road surface. The objective of this study is to enhance the understanding of tire behavior throughout its lifecycle
Kim, ChangsuSaito, Yoshinori
This study develops a personalized driver model for expressway merging, embedding individual driving characteristics into automated longitudinal and lateral control via Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. Uniform assistance (Advanced Driver Assist System, ADAS) can feel uncomfortable when it does not match a driver’s style; we therefore target the merge maneuver—a safety-critical task requiring anticipation and timing—and test whether merging-related context improves model fidelity. Driving data were collected in a high-fidelity motion-base simulator across two merging scenarios (13 licensed drivers in total). Inputs comprised ego speed, Headway distance and relative speed to the lead vehicle, and geometric context variables (distance to the end of the acceleration lane and to the hard/soft nose); outputs were longitudinal and, in the cross-scenario study, lateral accelerations. Models were trained per driver and evaluated by root mean square error (RMSE). Including merging context
Shen, ShuncongHirose, Toshiya
Lane centering is a critical active safety feature whose effectiveness depends on robust design and validation across diverse driving conditions. This paper presents the development of a Lane Centering Controller (LCC) using a structured model-based design workflow in MATLAB and Simulink. A kinematic bicycle model was employed to simulate vehicle dynamics and evaluate an angle based steering controller integrating both feedforward and feedback control paths. The controller was tested across multiple road geometries and speeds up to 65 mph to ensure tracking consistency and stability under nominal and perturbed conditions. Perception noise models for lane curvature and curvature rate were extracted from onboard camera data under controlled conditions, revealing Gaussian characteristics. No filtering was applied, allowing direct evaluation of the controller’s inherent robustness to raw signal variability. The LCC maintained a peak lateral offset within ±0.35 m and lateral jerk within ±9
Bijinepalli, Ravi TejaTambolkar, PoojaMidlam-Mohler, Shawn
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) has become a widely adopted driver-assist technology, designed primarily to regulate a vehicle’s longitudinal movement while maintaining a safe following distance from the preceding vehicle. A key performance criterion is the system’s ability to detect and respond to both moving and stationary target vehicles within the ego vehicle’s path. While manufacturers typically validate ACC performance within specific speed ranges, responding to stationary objects remains particularly challenging due to limited sensor range, difficulty in detecting distant stationary targets, and constrained deceleration capabilities. Beyond certified operating limits, overall system reliability may degrade. Nonetheless, increasing industry and regulatory expectations are driving the need to extend ACC functionality across wider and more clearly defined speed domains. Modern ACC systems are further evolving to recognize and respond to various road features, including traffic lights
Awathe, ArpitPatel, DarshMathur, DhruvRaut, Abhinandan Vijay
With the steady increase in autonomous driving (AD) and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) aimed at improving road safety and navigation efficiency, simulation tools have become a critical part of the development process, allowing systems to be tested while mitigating the risk of physical injury or property damage upon failure. Physics-based simulators are central to virtual vehicle development, yet their control responses often differ from real vehicles, potentially limiting the transfer of controllers and algorithms developed in simulation. As these simulations play an important role in the vehicle design and validation process, a critical question is how well their predicted behavior translates to real-world physical systems. This paper presents a calibration framework for an autonomous vehicle platform that learns the motion characteristics of an experimental vehicle and uses that knowledge to correct the actuator response of a simulation model. The model is trained by
Soloiu, ValentinSutton, TimothyMehrzed, ShaenLange, RobinZimmerman, CharlesPeralta Lopez, Guillermo
The influence of modern Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) on the head and neck behavior of the occupants in a vehicle continues to be an active area of research. Occupant kinematics and kinetics were evaluated using a vehicle equipped with a pedestrian AEB system. The vehicle was tested in several different scenarios with speeds between 15 and 45 mph. Two instrumented 50th-percentile male Hybrid-III Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATD) were positioned in certain seats of the vehicle, while minimally instrumented human volunteers occupied the remaining seats. Displacement transducers and video analysis were utilized to capture the kinematics of each occupant. The findings of this study indicate that in AEB-only events with belted-occupants, the test vehicle did not result in any occupant motion that would have placed the occupants out-of-position (OOP) had an impact occurred immediately following the AEB event. This means that when evaluating real-world AEB events, it may not be necessary
Bartholomew, MeredithDahiya, AkshayRussell, CalebMorr, DouglasCastro, ElaineNguyen, An
Avoiding and mitigating any potential collision is dependent on (1) road user ability to avoid entering into a conflict (conflict avoidance effect) and (2) road user response should a conflict be entered (collision avoidance effect). This study examined the collision avoidance effect of the Waymo Driver, a currently deployed SAE level 4 automated driving system (ADS), using a human behavior reference model, designed to be representative of a human driver that is non-impaired, with eyes on the conflict (NIEON). Reliable performance benchmarking methodologies for assessing ADS performance are an essential component of determining system readiness. This consistently performing, always-attentive driver does not exist in the human population. Counterfactual simulations were run on responder collision scenarios based on reconstructions from a 10-year period of human fatal crashes from the Operational Design Domain of the Waymo ADS in Chandler, Arizona. Of 16 simulated conflicts entered, 12
Scanlon, John M.Kusano, Kristofer D.Engstrom, JohanVictor, Trent
In order to determine the on-board EDR data recording characteristics of a GM vehicle, a 2023 GMC Sierra Denali was tested in several Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking (P-AEB) scenarios. Using a variety of test tools, including the STRIDE robotic platform and its onboard data systems, a GPS/IMU installed in the vehicle, and several camera units, the vehicle was put into collision imminent scenarios in which the crash avoidance systems were actuated. The flags in the EDR data, the order in which EDR events were written, and the correlation between the EDR and data recorded by the aforementioned external acquisition systems were examined for each test case. Testing was done in both forward and reverse scenarios and at low speeds only. These results provide a picture of the current state of the additional data available in current EDRs installed on GM vehicles equipped with P-AEB capability, as well as an insight into the accuracy and meaning of that data which should prove
Bartholomew, MeredithArnett, MichaelGuenther, Dennis
This paper describes Waymo's Collision Avoidance Testing (CAT) methodology: a scenario-based testing method that evaluates the safety of the Waymo Driver Automated Driving Systems' (ADS) intended functionality in conflict situations initiated by other road users that require urgent evasive maneuvers. Because SAE Level 4 ADS are responsible for the dynamic driving task (DDT), when engaged, without immediate human intervention, evaluating a Level 4 ADS using scenario-based testing is difficult due to the potentially infinite number of operational scenarios in which hazardous situations may unfold. To that end, in this paper we first describe the safety test objectives for the CAT methodology, including the collision and serious injury metrics and the reference behavior model representing a non-impaired eyes on conflict human driver used to form an acceptance criterion. Afterward, we introduce the process for identifying potentially hazardous situations from a combination of human data
Kusano, KristoferBeatty, KurtSchnelle, ScottFavaro, FrancescaCrary, CamVictor, Trent
Despite remarkable advances in vehicle technology - enhancing comfort, safety, and automation – productivity of transportation over the road continues to decline. Stop-and-go driving remains one of the most persistent inefficiencies in modern mobility systems, leading to greater travel delays, energy waste, emissions, and accident risk. As vehicle volumes rise, these effects compound into systemic challenges, including driver frustration, unstable flow dynamics, and elevated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To address these issues, an extensive data-driven evaluation was performed characterizing the underlying causes of traffic instability and uncovering hidden behavioral parameters influencing traffic flow. This research led to the identification of a previously unrecognized metric - the Driver Comfort Index (DCI) - which quantifies an inter-vehicle spacing behavior that reflects intrinsic human driving behavior. Building on this discovery, mixed traffic is explored to identify its
Schlueter, Georg J.
This study examines the ongoing challenge of balancing sufficient forward illumination for vehicle operation with the need to limit glare experienced by other road users. This analysis specifically focuses on the portion of a headlight's beam pattern intensity distribution located above the horizontal plane, which is particularly relevant for lighting overhead signs and the upper portions of vulnerable road users but is also a potential contributor to glare. In particular, the study investigates how the adoption of LED headlamp technology has influenced upward-directed lighting relative to historical halogen beam intensity distributions. Two different comparative analyses were performed within this study. The first analysis was the calculation of intensity on targets positioned at multiple locations relative to the headlamps considering vehicle conditions. The second analysis was performed as at selected discrete points referenced directly to the headlamp and independent of vehicle
Allen, Jodi Mary Jean
Edge detection is fundamental for intelligent vehicle applications, directly supporting ADAS functions such as lane detection, obstacle recognition, and scene understanding. The conventional Canny edge detection method exhibits notable shortcomings, especially in color-image processing, adaptive threshold selection, and preserving edge integrity under noisy conditions. In this study, we present an enhanced Canny edge detection framework tailored for ADAS-oriented intelligent vehicle systems, incorporating a quaternion-based weighted averaging scheme for color preservation, adaptive thresholds derived from gradient-amplitude histograms, multiscale edge localization via scale multiplication, and a novel gravitational-field-intensity operator for improved gradient robustness. Moreover, we extend the method to vanishing-point estimation an essential ADAS capability by performing precise intersection calculations combined with clustering techniques such as DBSCAN and RANSAC. Experimental
Uppala, Rohit RajKaye, MuraliZadeh, MehrdadTan, Teik-Khoon
This paper presents a testing platform for the development of lateral stability control systems in independent motor electric vehicles (EVs). A 10 degree of freedom (DOF) vehicle simulation and a radio control test vehicle are constructed to enable controls validation scalable to full size vehicles. These vehicle simulations, or ‘digital twins’, have been widely adopted throughout the automotive industry due to their lower operating costs and ease of implementation. Virtual models are not perfect representations of reality, however, and physical testing is still necessary to validate systems for use in the real world. This is especially true when testing safety-critical features such as stability control. As a result, a simulation environment working in conjunction with a test vehicle represents an optimal hybrid approach. In this work, a high fidelity vehicle model is constructed in the Matlab/Simulink environment. To capture the effect of suspension, the digital twin is capable of
Petersen, Nicholas ConnerRobinette, Darrell
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems are essential for autonomous driving (AD) and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), providing accurate 3D perception of the surrounding environment. However, their performance significantly deteriorates under adverse weather conditions such as fog, where laser pulses are scattered by airborne particles, resulting in substantial noise and reduced ranging accuracy. This scattering effect makes it difficult to detect objects within or behind particulate matter, posing a serious challenge for reliable perception in real-world driving scenarios. To address this issue, we propose an algorithm that combines adaptive multi-echo signal processing with a feature-integrated, rule-based denoising framework to enhance LiDAR performance in noisy environments. The multi-echo approach selectively utilizes meaningful signal returns by evaluating both intensity and relative echo positions. Based on predefined rules, the algorithm identifies the echo most
Kaito, SeiyaZheng, ShengchaoFujioka, IbukiBeppu, Taro
Energy efficiency and range optimization remain critical challenges to the widespread adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). As a result, there is a growing demand for intelligent driver assistance systems that can extend the operating range and reduce range anxiety. This paper presents an adaptive eco-feedback and driver rating system based on proximal policy optimization (PPO) reinforcement learning, designed to support drivers with the target to reduce energy consumption and maximize driving range. The system processes real-time driving data, such as velocity, acceleration and powertrain status. Map data of high quality is used to anticipate traffic events, including but not limited to speed limits, curves, gradients, preceding vehicles and traffic lights. This contextual awareness allows the system to continuously assess driving behavior and provide personalized, context-aware visual feedback alongside a dynamic driving behavior rating. A PPO agent learns optimal feedback
Stocker, ChristophHirz, MarioMartin, MichaelKreis, AlexanderStadler, Severin
With the rise of end-to-end autonomous driving, visual perception for environmental understanding has become a key research topic in advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) development. Most existing end-to-end models generate only executable control commands or planned trajectories, making the prediction process difficult to interpret. In this study, we present an end-to-end approach for traffic-light recognition and stop-sign detection built on top of the open-source openpilot framework. Instead of deploying separate object detection networks, we extend the existing backbone with two lightweight multi-task heads: a traffic-light detection and classification head, and a stop-sign detection head with confidence estimation. The modified architecture preserves openpilot’s core driving functionality by reusing shared features and incorporating compact residual and feed-forward layers. The additional perception outputs are appended to the original outputs, ensuring that the model’s
Wang, HanchenLi, TaozheHajnorouzali, YasamanBurch, Collinli, VictoriaTan, LinArjmanzdadeh, ZibaXu, Bin
Recent years have seen a rapid rise in edge-oriented object detection models, including new YOLO variants and transformer-based RT-DETR. Choosing an appropriate model for vehicle detection, however, remains challenged because common metrics such as precision, recall, and mAP capture only part of the trade-off between accuracy and computational cost. To better support model selection, we introduce the Multi-dimensional Equilibrium Detection Assessment Score (MEDAS), which evaluates detectors across four practical dimensions: performance, balance, efficiency, and adaptability. The framework includes a normalization strategy and adjustable weighting so that evaluations can reflect specific deployment needs, especially in resource-limited settings. Experiments on the MS-COCO vehicle dataset show that while RT-DETR models offer competitive accuracy, they require substantially more computation. In contrast, lightweight YOLO variants provide a stronger balance between accuracy and efficiency
Guo, Bin
Although SAE Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving Systems (ADS) have been shown to provide some safety benefits, they have largely been constrained to specific driving contexts, namely motorways for ADAS and lower speed roadways for ADS. As more advanced systems are entering the roadways and their operating conditions are expanding, it remains an ongoing challenge to assess the safe operation of vehicles with automation in different roadway contexts and leverage lessons learned from real-world incidents to create safer and more robust systems. As of August 2025, NHTSA’s Standing General Order on Crash Reporting offers systematic data on such incidents, providing at least a cursory overview of where and how they occur. From this source, a total of 1,375 crash records were extracted, 657 for ADAS systems and 715 for ADS systems. Through the application of association rule mining and a novel metric termed influence, patterns in ADAS- and ADS-related
Astle, W. AbramHaus, Samantha
Ensuring the safety of Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) is a critical challenge in the development of advanced autonomous driving systems in smart cities. Among vulnerable road users, bicyclists present unique characteristics that make their safety both critical and also manageable. Vehicles often travel at significantly higher relative speeds when interacting with bicyclists as compared to their interactions with pedestrians which makes collision avoidance system design for bicyclist safety more challenging. Yet, bicyclist movements are generally more predictable and governed by clear traffic rules as compared to the sudden and sometimes erratic pedestrian motion, offering opportunities for model-based control strategies. To address bicyclist safety in complex traffic environments, this study proposes and develops a High-Order Control Lyapunov Function–High-Order Control Barrier Function–Quadratic Programming (HOCLF-HOCBF-QP) control framework. Through this framework, CLFs constraints
Chen, HaochongCao, XinchengGuvenc, LeventAksun Guvenc, Bilin
In order to achieve fully autonomous driving, point to point autonomous navigation is the most important task. Most existing end-to-end models output a short-horizon path which makes the decision process hard to interpret and unreliable at intersections and complex driving scenarios. In this research, we build a navigation-integrated end-to-end path planner on top of an openpilot open source model. We created a navigation branch that encodes route polyline geometry, distance-to-next-maneuver, and high-level instructions and combines with path plan branch using residual blocks and feed-forward layers. By adding minimal parameters, new model keeps the original openpilot tasks unchanged and have the path output based on the navigation information. The model is trained on diverse urban scenes’ intersections, and it shows improved route performance in vehicle testing. The proposed model is validated in a Comma 3x device installed on a 2025 Nissan Leaf test vehicle. The road test results
Wang, HanchenLi, TaozheHajnorouzali, YasamanBurch, Collinli, VictoriaTan, LinArjmanzdadeh, ZibaXu, Bin
Achieving full vehicle autonomy is not just about adding sensors or compute - it requires a fundamental shift in how vehicles are architected. Autonomous systems rely on higher-resolution sensors, massive processing power, and the ability to fuse data from multiple sources in real time. Centralized in-vehicle architectures, which consolidate computing and enable sensor fusion, place unprecedented demands on connectivity. Precise time synchronization across systems becomes critical, as does advanced control to ensure safe and reliable operation. Any delay or data loss can impact decision-making, making robust, resilient communication links essential. High-performance connectivity is the backbone of this evolution. It must deliver the highest bandwidth to handle massive streams of sensor data, support long-reach connections across the vehicle, and maintain error-free performance even in the most challenging electromagnetic environments. This combination of speed, reach, and reliability
Shwartzberg, Daniel
Autonomous platforms such as self-driving vehicles, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and intelligent aerial drones demand real-time video perception systems capable of delivering actionable visual information at ultra-low latency. High-resolution vision pipelines are often hindered by delays introduced at multiple stages—sensor acquisition, video encoding, data transmission, decoding, and display—undermining the responsiveness required for safety-critical decision making. This study introduces a holistic system-level optimization framework that systematically reduces end-to-end video latency while maintaining image fidelity and perception accuracy. The proposed approach integrates hardware-accelerated encoding, zero-copy direct memory access (DMA), lightweight UDP-based RTP transport, and GPU-accelerated decoding into a unified pipeline. By minimizing redundant memory copies and software bottlenecks, the system achieves seamless data flow across hardware and software
Indrakanti, Rama Kiran Kumar
Ensuring ISO 26262 functional safety in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is increasingly complex as these platforms integrate artificial intelligence (AI) for perception, decision-making, and vehicle control. Traditional safety mechanisms are largely deterministic, but AI introduces non-determinism, creating challenges for verification, validation, and certification. Real-time vehicle telemetry, sensor outputs, and environmental inputs are processed through machine learning algorithms that forecast hardware and software faults before they escalate into hazardous conditions. These predictions are systematically integrated with ISO 26262 safety measures, enabling adaptive diagnostics, fault isolation, and rapid recovery strategies. The AI model introduces hazards such as data bias, model drift, opaque decision-making, and unsafe automation. A dedicated AI Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment addresses data quality, validation, monitoring, explainability, and fail-safe mechanisms
Abdul Karim, Abdul Salam
Trust calibration is vital for safe human–automation interaction but remains largely qualitative. This study develops multiple quantitative frameworks modeling trust as a function of automation reliability. Four progressive models of binary, linear, triangular, and logistic formalize the calibrated trust zone, defining where human reliance aligns with system performance. The framework corrects major misconceptions: that trust is purely qualitative, that low trust–low reliability states are acceptable, and that overtrust and distrust pose equal risk. It establishes a minimum reliability threshold for meaningful trust and identifies distrust as the safer default in high-risk contexts. A case study on an empirical observation of 32 AI applications plotted in the trust–reliability space confirms the analysis, revealing a consistent distrust tendency where reliability exceeds user confidence and other observations. By quantifying trust through reliability, the study reframes it as a
Wen, HeMounir, Adil
Vehicle system testing serves as a critical phase in obtaining road certification for prototype vehicles. While direct road testing with physical vehicles yields the most authentic data, this approach entails significant costs, challenges in reproducing extreme scenarios, and inherent safety risks. In contrast, virtual vehicle-based testing technologies represent advanced simulation methodologies for enhancing development efficiency and quality, effectively mitigating risks associated with complex real-world operating conditions and hazardous physical testing. However, virtual vehicle models often rely on idealized parameters, limiting their ability to reflect real-world dynamics and resulting in lower credibility of test outcomes. Furthermore, as evidenced in current mainstream virtual testing software, environmental simulations predominantly remain confined to the visual domain, with limited direct interaction between dynamic environmental changes and virtual vehicle responses. To
Liao, YinshengCheng, Qing HuaQu, WenyingWang, ZhenfengWu, YanHe, ChengkunZhang, JunzhiLu, Yukun
The validation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving (AD) Systems, especially at higher automation levels such as SAE Level 3 or 4, demands the testing of a vast array of scenario variants far exceeding the scope of standard safety specifications like Euro NCAP (The European New Car Assessment Programme). Autonomous vehicles require thorough real-world testing to ensure automotive safety. However, public road tests are costly and risky. Instead, virtual scenarios - digital twins of real environments - offer a safe, cost-effective testing alternative. Exhaustive simulation across this high-dimensional scenario space, which includes variations in actor behavior, environmental conditions, and event characteristics, is computationally infeasible. We propose a constraint-solving approach to address this challenge that leverages mathematical and geometric techniques to analytically assess the existence and validity of scenario variants prior to simulation. Two
Karve, OmkarSaurav, SaketPurwar, Prabhanshu
This paper presents the integration and validation of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) algorithms on a student-team-developed vehicle as part of the U.S. Department of Energy EcoCAR EV Challenge. The competition provided each team with a 2023 Cadillac Lyriq, which was modified to an all-wheel-drive configuration and re-architected to support the development of SAE Level 3 autonomous features including Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Automatic Intersection Navigation (AIN), Lane Centering Control (LCC), and Automatic Parking (AP). The scope of this paper, however, is limited to the development, implementation, and validation of a Level 2 longitudinal ADAS function. Higher-level automation requirements such as Operational Design Domain (ODD) definition and Driver Monitoring System (DMS) enforcement are addressed at the vehicle architecture and competition level but are not the focus of this work. The major contribution of this work is the development of ACC with Vehicle-to-Infrastructure
Gupta, IshikaEstrada, TylerTambolkar, PoojaMidlam-Mohler, Shawn
Heavy-duty Class 8 battery electric trucks not only offer the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to conventional diesel trucks but can also provide significant savings in fuel costs. To further enhance energy and freight efficiency, Predictive Cruise Control (PCC) algorithms can be developed that generate optimal acceleration profiles for the vehicle by minimizing a cost function which combines both energy consumption and deviation from the desired velocity. A critical component of the cost function is the penalty factor, which governs the tradeoff between energy use and travel time, which are two conflicting objectives in freight logistics. Selecting an appropriate penalty factor is essential, as freight deliveries are time sensitive, but minimizing energy consumption remains a priority. Moreover, variations in payload significantly affect vehicle dynamics and energy usage, making it critical to adapt the penalty factor to different payload
Safder, Ahmad HussainVillani, ManfrediWang, EricKhuntia, SatvikNelson, JamesMeijer, MaartenAhmed, Qadeer
Although the evaluation criteria of New Car Assessment Programs (NCAP) continue to evolve, they still predominantly focus on one-to-one collision scenarios. However, accident analyses based on traffic databases from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States and the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (ITARDA) in Japan indicate that in real-world traffic environments, particularly at intersections with multi-lane arterial roads, complex situations involving multiple vehicles are likely to arise. Further examination of these crash configurations suggests that AEB activation, depending on the resulting stopping position, may entail a potential secondary collision risk under certain intersection conditions. To mitigate secondary collision risks, this study introduces a Secondary Collision Mitigation Logic (SCM Logic), which estimates Time-To-Intercept (TTI) for multiple crossing vehicles to predict when each vehicle will reach the
Kobayashi, FumiyaFukuda, KentaroTani, Hiroaki
This study presents the development and validation of a muddy water spray apparatus designed to simulate dust contamination on vehicle sensors for sensor cleaning system testing. It is important to have a constant and quantifiable test environment for the vehicle development process. For verifying the apparatus, muddy water, prepared by mixing standardized dust powder, salt, and water to maintain constant contamination test conditions, was sprayed onto glass specimens to evaluate equipment consistency. Deposited dust weight and thickness were measured across multiple spray cycles, with statistical analyses confirming consistent and reliable deposition. Paired t-tests indicated no significant difference between sample positions, demonstrating uniform spray distribution. The apparatus was further applied to individual infrared (IR) cameras to observe performance degradation under dry and wet contamination conditions showing statistically consistent increases in contamination levels
Jinhyeok, Gong
The rapid advancement of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), automated driving and electrification has significantly increased the software content and complexity within modern vehicles. Consequently, ensuring both high process quality and compliance or qualification with functional safety standards becomes critically important. Automotive Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination (ASPICE 4.0) focus on Process quality and Capability Maturity, while ISO 26262:2018 emphasizes engineering guidelines for functional safety and risk mitigation. The efficient integration of the process and standard remains a key challenge due to differences in their objectives, terminologies, and assessment criteria. The misalignment between ASPICE 4.0 and ISO 26262:2018 standard often results in duplicated efforts, rework of work products, and delays in product release schedules. This paper proposes a unified framework to bridge ASPICE 4.0 process areas with ISO 26262:2018 safety
Ravi, ReshmaEaswaramoorthy, Prasad VigneshPromise, Dinu
Parking assist systems are among the most widely adopted driver-assistance features in modern vehicles. A key component of these systems is the path planning module, which ensures accurate vehicle alignment within a parking slot while satisfying various constraints such as maintaining slot centering, avoiding collisions in confined spaces, minimizing maneuver count, and achieving the shortest feasible path. Multiple path generation techniques—such as geometric, polynomial-based, and search-based methods—have been developed to enable safe and efficient parking maneuvers. However, most of these approaches rely on the simplifying assumption that the vehicle’s instantaneous center of rotation (ICR) is fixed, typically located on the non-steering axle. In practice, the ICR is not constant and can vary significantly across vehicles due to several physical and kinematic factors, including steering geometry, tire slip characteristics, suspension configuration, and weight distribution
Awathe, ArpitPatanwala, AbizerJain, ArihantVarunjikar, Tejas
The increased integration of radar and vision sensors in modern vehicles has significantly improved environmental perception, safety, and automation. Nevertheless, conventional camera modules capture images in fixed, continuous frames, leading to unnecessary data processing, power consumption, and heat generation in the limited space of small sensors. The paper discusses the technology of Radar Based Dynamic Pixel Activation (RDPA); whereby radar data can be used to dynamically activate specific pixels on the camera sensor, optimizing image capture and processing. Through a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles published between 2021 and 2025, we examined the literature on radar-camera fusion, adaptive imaging, and sensor design that is efficient in power consumption. The review indicates a research gap that there is no current paradigm that dynamically activates sensor pixels at the hardware level using radar data. We aggregated ten topical studies and proposed a
Kasarla, Nagender Reddy
Embedded vision systems are essential for contemporary applications, including robotics, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and intelligent surveillance; yet they frequently experience diminished image quality due to resource constraints, environmental variability, and inconsistent illumination conditions. Such degradations impact multiple visual attributes—sharpness, contrast, color accuracy, noise levels, and structural similarity—that are critical for reliable perception in safety- and performance-driven domains. This study introduces a comprehensive system-level calibration architecture that integrates three coordinated layers: sensor-level adjustment, firmware optimization, and adaptive software enhancements. At the sensor level, exposure control, gain tuning, and white balance adjustments mitigate luminance imbalance and color shifts under changing light conditions. Firmware optimization leverages image signal processor (ISP) parameters to reduce temporal and spatial
Indrakanti, Rama Kiran KumarVishnoi, NitinKamadi, Venkata
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