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This paper describes the concept of a potential test vehicle for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that is designed to evaluate the dynamics, human factors, and safety aspects of advanced technologies in passenger class automobiles expected to be introduced as a result of the Intelligent Vehicle/Highway System (IVHS) program. The Variable Dynamic Testbed Vehicle (VDTV) requirements were determined from the inputs of anticipated users and possible research needs of NHTSA. Design and implementation approaches are described, the benefits of the vehicle are discussed and costs for several options presented.

A variable stability test bed is under development for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Variable Dynamic Testbed Vehicle (VDTV) is being designed for research and testing of advanced collision warning and avoidance technologies being developed by industry and most likely being made available to consumers in the near future. The VDTV will also be used by NHTSA in support of the Automated Highway System (AHS) Program and possibly by the AHS program directly. The VDTV will have advanced dynamic subsystems that can be varied by on on-board programmable computer Suspension, steering, throttle, and braking will thus be controlled through selected algorithms that may be changed to provide a reasonably broad range of vehicle dynamic characteristics. The vehicle is inherently a drive-by-wire system, is instrumented for both vehicle and human factor measurements, and is therefore ideally suited to many Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications.