AB Dynamics Launches ClearTrack™: An Object Detection System for Driverless Testing
ClearTrackTM brings fully integrated object detection to driverless robot-controlled vehicle testing.
Enables teams to expand test fleets of driverless vehicles with additional vigilance of on-board detection.
Long-range detection allows operation at speeds up to 130km/h, meeting key OEM requirements
Leading automotive test solution supplier AB Dynamics presents ClearTrackTM, an update to the automotive industry's first fully integrated object detection system for driverless robot-controlled vehicle testing. ClearTrack enables automotive manufacturers to scale-up their driverless durability, misuse, and mileage accumulation testing operations by automating obstacle detection and avoidance, maximising uptime, and optimising test schedules. It also provides an extra layer of protection for valuable assets by helping to prevent impacts with obstacles on the track, such as animals or large debris.
"Using robots to remove the driver from repetitive and often arduous testing has a host of benefits not just for personnel, but also improving the cost and efficiency of testing," says Jonathan Barry, Senior Embedded and Control Software Engineer at AB Dynamics. "ClearTrack amplifies these benefits. Our fully integrated active object detection system helps protect valuable prototypes from damage and can enable more vehicles to operate simultaneously on the same track."
Designed for seamless integration with AB Dynamics’ driverless solution, the core of ClearTrack is a high-resolution, solid-state, ultra-long-range (500m) LiDAR sensor designed specifically for autonomous applications. As well as the perception sensor, the solution includes an in-house-developed perception ECU and roof-mounting system. It connects to the driverless vehicle’s controller unit and is managed through the AB Dynamics Robot Controller software interface.
AB Dynamics developed ClearTrack with sister company ABD Solutions. The company develops retrofittable autonomy for the industrial sector, including a human form detection and alert system that improves site safety around construction vehicles.
The detection system calculates the size, shape, position and direction of obstacles in real-time and performs an immediate abort stop to prevent an impact if an obstacle poses a collision risk. ClearTrack can be finely tuned to filter out obstacles that don’t pose a risk of damage to the vehicle, such as low lying or sparse foliage. Its configurable settings allow the user to control the sensitivity of the system depending on its operational environment. This includes object height filters for test areas that include tunnels or bridges. This all helps keep testing efficient without compromising safety.
ClearTrack is designed for fast and simple deployment and is compatible with almost any vehicle. The system is capable of test speeds up to 130 km/h, which is a key requirement for many OEMs. It is also built to withstand the demands of durability testing, including rough and uneven terrain. Its motion compensation technology corrects the smearing of LiDAR points when the vehicle is moving, ensuring consistent performance even in high-vibration environments.
“ClearTrack allows OEMs to scale their driverless operations safely and efficiently,” continues Barry. “By providing an additional layer of information and enhanced situational awareness, an operator's workload is significantly reduced. As a result, they can comfortably and safely monitor and control more vehicles.”
AB Dynamics' driverless testing solution utilises sophisticated robots, software, telemetry and controllers to accurately control a vehicle’s speed and direction. Under normal driving conditions the solution typically enables vehicles to follow a predetermined path to within 2cm, speed to within 0.5 km/h and steering angle to within 0.5 degrees. This automated approach ensures repeatable, consistent, accurate testing while eliminating driver fatigue and variability from the process.