January 2021

Press Release: New target to increase the safety of light electric vehicles on the road

New target for tests of advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving functions / ASTERA E-Scooter mimics female road users on an electric scooter

Munich/Ingolstadt, 20. Jan. 2021 – High diversity in road traffic demands a great variety of tests for the validation of safety systems.With ASTERA E-Scooter, MESSRING presents another cornerstone for variable and diversified tests with so-called Vulnerable Road Users (VRU). Electric scooters, which belong to the category of personal light electric vehicles, represent a new group of road users with altered behavior compared to non-electric personal mobility devices. The target realistically replicates a woman on an electric scooter in terms of shape and sensor signature and is suitable for numerous test scenarios.

The target consists of two parts, the scooter and the female dummy mounted on top of it. At 1.66 m, the dummy corresponds to the average body height (P50 median) of 16 to 18-year-old girls (according to the Robert Koch Institute, as of 2013) and the average body height of the total female population in Germany (German Federal Statistical Office as of 2017). The target is compatible according to ISO19206 with common motion platforms such as the NCAP belt system, the ABD Launchpad Mini, the Humanetics UFOnano as well as the MESSRING 6D Target Mover. The low-contrast black and gray outer cover provides challenging test conditions for camera sensors and detection algorithms.

“Automated driving and driver assistance systems face a highly complex challenge when participating in road traffic. Validated, realistic testing tools such as the ASTERA E-Scooter Target enable the simulation of reality in its diversity on the proving ground and help vehicle developers to ensure more safety on the road,” states Dr. Igor Doric, Executive Director of MESSRING Active Safety GmbH.