The expansion of the DRI Minter Field Testing Facility expansion has been completed, adding space for additional testing types and space for simultaneous testing.
DRI has a vehicle test facility, located at the Minter Airfield, near Bakersfield California. This secure area is suitable for vehicle handling, braking and ride tests, evaluations of advanced collision avoidance technologies, pass-by noise measurements, and studies of driver behaviour (Human Factors research).
The expansion has increased the testing area by over two acres and facilitates the execution of US NCAP and EuroNCAP intersection scenarios, including:
- Intersection Safety Assist (ISA)
- Car to Car Turn Across Path (CCFTAP scenarios)
- Car to Pedestrian Turning, Adult (CPTA scenarios)
- Car to Bicyclist Turning, Adult (CBTA scenarios)
Additional line markings conform to EuroNCAP and US NCAP specifications for executing a wide variety of test protocols, including:
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
- Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK), including all road edge marking types
- Blind Spot Detection (BSD)
- Blind Spot Intervention (BSI)
In addition to the additional types of tests DRI can accomplish, the expansion allows greater flexibility in scheduling concurrent tests, since multiple testing campaigns can be accomplished simultaneously.