Datron began working with the Speed of Sight team in 2003. Mike contacted Mark Hargreaves, a director of Datron Technology Ltd, to see if we could help out with the measurement of a world record attempt for a blind person driving over a measured mile. Datron is Guinness-accredited, and was only too pleased to offer technical assistance using our GPS tracking and measurement technology. Our experience of vehicle testing helped Mike break the world record and set a record speed of 144.7 mph in a Jaguar XJ-R.

Since that time Datron has become a sponsor of the team and has worked closely with them and BMW UK to break yet another record in a de-restricted M5. Mike smashed his own record at Elvington, and recorded a remarkable speed of 178.5mph. Unfortunately the record has since been broken by the Turkish racer, Metin Sentirk, driving a Ferrari 430. However, Mike’s competitive spirit remains undaunted, and he and the team hope to reclaim the record in the next few months.

What are your immediate aims?

“We’re hoping to regain the blind land speed world record in spring next year. Nothing is completely settled yet, but we’re looking at two or three vehicles at the moment. We haven’t made any definite decisions, but the car we eventually choose will have to be capable of doing over 200 miles per hour. So, obviously we have to choose carefully, and make sure the car we eventually pick is capable of doing everything we need it to do.”

Has Datron’s technological expertise helped the team improve?

“Datron’s involvement has made a massive difference. They bring expertise to the team, and this expertise makes all the difference. Mark Hargreaves is a person I know particularly well, having worked with him over a number of years. His expertise and knowledge of vehicle measuring technologies, like vehicle slip and speed has made breaking records that much more do-able. He’s able to look at the car’s speed profile and match it to the test venue to optimise the car’s average speed. He knows how to squeeze the maximum out of the vehicle, and that makes a real difference.”

“We don’t have to worry about having timing lights or anything like that on the course, because everything that monitors what I do is in the car with me.  Mark uses a software system that’s based on GPS tracking technology. Every thing is tracked and recorded inside the car itself, and this can also be monitored by Mark in the chase car, along with my father who takes care of the navigating for me... We can also have the software system vehicle tracking as well, so we can track exactly what’s happening when I’m doing the run. The beauty of using Datron’s system is that it makes my job easier and safer: there’s nothing else on the track for me to worry about. It’s all contained with me in the car. So as soon as I’ve completed my lap and stopped, we can use Datron’s technological expertise to find out how well I’ve done straight away which is such a great advantage.”

What are the plans for the next few months?

"We’ve got our eyes on breaking the world blind water speed record at Coniston Water this year, using a Silverline power boat.[Mike and the team hope to set the sightless water speed record at an amazing 100mph] The ultimate aim is to gain both the water speed and land speed record within the next 12 months, which will emulate the achievements of Sir Donald Campbell. If we can achieve this it really will be amazing. I can’t tell you how much we’re looking forward to it. Once again Mark will be there to help by fitting all the GPS tracking technology to the boat. He’ll be able to monitor all the things we do on the lake and help us squeeze out that extra bit of speed.” 

'We have just started brakes testing in a One-77 with the 10Hz GPS. I will let you know how we get on.'

Regards,

Chris

Cost-effective ADAS test solution

OxTS has launched the new RT2002/RT2004 inertial and GPS navigation systems, a cost-effective component for testing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Combined with an OxTS RT-Range system, RT2002s can be used as a reference for radar, LIDAR and other sensors which are used for accident avoidance. By combining the new RT2002 with the RT-Range you will get a comprehensive, highly accurate and yet cost-effective ADAS testing solution. To read more, click here...

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GPS + GLONASS benefits ADAS testing on the road

In the area of vehicle testing most OxTS users work in open proving grounds with few or no trees and no buildings. In these conditions GPS works perfectly. For ADAS testing in real environments, however, engineers have to venture out to real roads where bridges, trees, high-rise buildings and urban canyons make accurate positioning difficult. The combination of GPS and GLONASS receivers, like in our RT3002G system, means RTK Integer can be maintained at times when GPS-only receivers cannot, giving you the highest levels of accuracy. To read more information and see some test data, click here...

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Lane position on curved roads

If you are developing lane change assistance and lane departure warning systems, then the OxTS RT-Range is the perfect solution for you. It is the only product which accurately measures lane position on straight and curved roads. With the RT-Range, lane position can be measured for three positions in the vehicle. It also measures velocity and acceleration compared to the lane markings and much more. To read more, click here...

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RT-Range - the most comprehensive ADAS test solution

The RT-Range from OxTS is the most comprehensive and sophisticated solution on the market for verifying and testing advanced driver assistance systems. We have already equipped more than 60 vehicles with RT-Range units worldwide. The RT-Range offers a huge list of unique features making it the leading solution for complicated ADAS tests. You can find a full list of all unique RT-Range features explained on our website...

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Exhibitions 2011

Visit us during the SIAT Expo (19th - 22nd January 2011) in Pune, India and see our RT systems for automotive testing as well as the RT-Range - the leading solution for ADAS testing. Our support engineer Steve Boyle will be in India during that week and show our products together with our local representative Automotive Test Systems. Please contact us, to find out more or arrange a meeting at the exhibition.

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Product demonstrations

The best way to convince yourself of the precision and quality of our products is by booking a product demonstration. Our demo systems can be shipped to almost all countries. If you are interested in testing the RT-Range systems, please contact us to arrange a suitable date for you.

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Careful calibration of the Inertial Measurement unit ensures that the normal bias and scale factor errors are reduced (the Kalman filter makes further corrections to them too). More critically, parameters such as misalignment are corrected. Misalignment parameters are critical to inertial measurements and are usually overlooked by people. (For example, if the roll gyro has a 1 degree misalignment angle with respect to the yaw direction and the vehicle rotates round a 360 degree circle then the integrated roll rate from the gyro will have an error of 6.3 degrees! 1 degree alignment is typical of how accurate the gyro is aligned inside its case and is irresective of how accurate you have aligned the case). In the RT3000 we align the gyros to better then 0.05 degrees, and the Kalman filter also removes errors as they accumulate; there is no degradation in performance while circling when using and RT3000.

A powerful, floating-point DSP provides 3D anti-aliasing filters for the inertial sensors. The algorithms on the DSP compensate for coning and sculling errors, allowing the products to work accurately in very high vibration environments. The DSP actually outputs changes in velocity and changes in angle, as is customary for Inertial Navigation Systems.

The survey-grade GPS receivers in the RT3000 use both L1 (civilian) and, optionally, L2 (military) frequencies to measure position, velocity and heading. The receivers have very fast reacquisition and, in the dual-antenna products, heading ambiguities are resolved by tight coupling with the solution from the inertial sensors. GPS is used to prevent the measurements from the Inertial Sensors from drifting.

The outputs of the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) are integrated in a WGS-84 Strap down Navigator. The use of Strap down Navigation makes the system immune to effects of earth rotation, transport rate and Coriolis accelerations. The outputs of the Strap down Navigator are the position, velocity and orientation of the system. Together with the accelerations and the angular rates they are output from the Inertial and GPS Navigation System.

The measurements from the Inertial Sensors and GPS receiver(s) are combined to form a blended navigation solution. A 24-state extended Kalman filter, running at 33Hz, corrects the navigation outputs and the Inertial Sensors (for bias and scale factor errors). The lever-arm to the GPS antenna and the angle of the GPS antennas is estimated; the user does not need to survey these accurately. The Strapdown Navigator provides the real-time outputs while the GPS receiver and the Kalman filter work in arrears. This enables very low-latency measurements to be output.

The measurements from the Inertial Sensors and from the GPS can be stored internally, up to 2 GB on current models. The measurements can then be post-processed. The advantage of post-processing is that it is not necessary to transmit the Differential Corrections from the GPS Base-Station in real-time. Instead, the GPS Base Station's information can be combined with the measurements after the mission. Waypoint software is used to post-process the GPS information before combining it with the inertial sensor's information post-mission.

Differential Corrections can be used to improve the performance of the RT3000 products in real-time. The RT3000 has been tested using Beacon, SBS/WAAS and OmniSTAR corrections. We can provide an special GPS Base-Station, the RT-Base, which provides exceptionally good differential corrections.

The RT3000 also includes several algorithm technologies, which are not normally found in competitive systems. These are described below and they help give the RT3000 huge advantages over comparable systems.

Advanced Slip

To improve the Heading and Slip Angle performance, the products include an Advanced Slip algorithm. This algorithm runs a compact car model in the Kalman filter to improve the Slip Angle.

Heading Lock and Dual-Antenna

When stationary for long periods of time, the heading of an Inertial Navigation System tends to drift. In the RT3000 family this can be solved using a Dual-Antenna product or by selecting Heading Lock. The Dual-Antenna products use two GPS antennas and measure position at two locations. The difference in the position of the two GPS antennas gives the Heading of the vehicle. Dual-Antenna means that the heading is free from drift, even when the vehicle has very low dynamics. Heading Lock monitors the speed of the vehicle. When the vehicle becomes stationary, the Heading is locked to its current value and cannot drift. The vehicle can remain stationary indefinitely without the variables of the Inertial Navigation System becoming too inaccurate to use.

Garage Mode

Many vehicle tests require the vehicle to return to the garage in between tests for changes and alterations. Sometimes these alterations can take many hours. During this time the Inertial Navigation System's variables will drift and they may not be able to recover when GPS becomes available again. To solve this, the RT3000 family includes a Garage Mode option. Garage Mode identifies when the product is in the garage and applies special corrections to keep the internal variables stable, even though GPS is unavailable. Then when the vehicle leaves the garage it can recover to full accuracy very quickly.

GPS Anomaly Rejection

GPS receivers often make measurements that have very large errors in them. If these errors are used to update the Inertial Navigation System then they cause havoc and can make the system unstable. The RT3000 family identifies GPS measurements that are incorrect and rejects them. This leads to a more robust positioning solution.

INS Drift Recovery

There are times when the Inertial Solution and the GPS measurements cannot be matched together. When this happens, the GPS measurements are rejected. But when too many GPS signals are rejected it is important to suspect that there is a problem with the Inertial Sensors instead. The RT3000 family is able to recover from these situations by monitoring the GPS and Inertial Solutions when they disagree. Special algorithms force the two back together if there is a mismatch for too long.

Wheel Speed Aiding

For survey vehicles, particularly road survey and rail survey, the drift from the RT3000 family can be significantly reduced by using wheel speed. When GPS is not available, wheel speed can keep the velocity stable and prevent it from drifting. The products are able to identify wheel slip and discard the wheel information when the wheel is slipping.

OxTS is releasing the RT2002 inertial and GPS navigation system, a cost-effective component for testing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Combined with an OxTS RT-Range system, RT2002s can be used as a reference for radar, LIDAR and other sensors that are used for accident avoidance. Straight and curved roads can also be surveyed and then used to compute lane position. Used by itself the RT2002 is a reference for automatic parking applications.

Since the RT2002 can relate all its measurements to the heading direction of the radar, it will work equally well on curved and straight sections of road. This overcomes the problem GPS has, which always has the slip angle as an error. On curved roads GPS cannot give the correct lateral range.

Using new, cost-effective technology, the RT2002 is able bring the price point of a complete RT-Range package closer to a GPS solution while still maintaining all the benefits that an inertial navigation system brings. As well as solving the heading-slip angle problem, the RT2002 benefits from 100Hz or 250Hz update rates; low (3.5ms) latency; using roll and pitch angles calculations; having all the outputs delivered in real-time using the CAN bus; etc.

The RT-Range, coupled with our RT3000 and RT4000 products, is already used worldwide for verifying the accuracy of ADAS sensors. By combining the new RT2002 with the RT-Range you will get a comprehensive, highly accurate and yet cost-effective ADAS testing solution.

Metin reached a new record of 182.03 miles per hour, in his Ferrari F430, with a 600 horsepower engine.

The event took place at the runway of Sanliurfa airport in the eastern Turkish town of Urfa.

The speed was measured by a Datron MICROSAT system which utilises GPS technology to measure speed and distance.
The record protocol defines the record to be the average speed over a measured mile in both directions in order to negate wind and gradient effects. The two runs also have to be made within an hour of each other.
The first run measured an average of 183.14 mph (294.67 kph), the second run acheived 180.92 mph (291.10 kph). The combined speed attained over the two runs was 182.03 mph (292.89 kph). In addition to the average speed Metin got to a top speed of 188.7 mph (303.62 kph) during his first run.

Metin said "I don't think there are any words to describe this feeling. I am really happy. It was really hard, like a dance with death," said Metin, who has been blind since the age of three.

Following Metin in a separate vehicle was former rally driver Volkan Isik, who guided the blind man by sophisticated radio system supplied by Telsan.

There are a couple of news articles containing videos which are worth looking at:

BBC News

YOU TUBE 

GUINNESS RECORDS STORY

Verifying the accuracy of radar and other sensors can now be performed objectively and with high precision. The RT-Range is used for the accurate measurement of the relative motion between vehicles and precise measurement of lane position. Typical applications include Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning and Collision Warning Systems. 

The RT-Range systems have been used in a unique series of tests to reveal how well safety features like ACC and brake assistance work in six new car models. The tests were conducted by ADAC - Germany's leading motoring organisation. To read more click here...

OxTS announces an interface from its RT-Range measurement systems to Anthony Best Dynamic's steering robots for synchronizing tests between robot driven vehicles. Using the RT-Range, in-vehicle robots can perform manoeuvres based on the position of a different vehicle with high accuracy and maximum repeatability. To read more, click here...

NHTSA chooses RT-Range

OxTS has been awarded a contract to supply NHTSA, a division of the US Department of Transportation, with its RT-Range measurement systems. NHTSA will use the RT-Range systems to develop standardised tests for the development of advanced driver assistance systems, such as Forward Collision Warning or Lane Departure Warning. Read more... 

The RT-Range measures the lane position of a vehicle in real-time and with stunning precision. That makes the RT-Range systems ideal for developing Lane Departure Warning systems. To read more about the RT-Range systems, click here...

Isaac Recorders are available in four basic versions.......

The DRU900 configured exclusively for Vehicle databus signal recording

The DRU908 which is the same as the DRU900 but has 8 universally programmable sensor inputs.

The DRU908-SLD (pictured right) which is an environmentally sealed IP67 version of the DRU908.

The DRU916 which has 16 universally programmable sensor inputs.

ALL Isaac data recorders have the following common specification........

2 x CAN2.0a/b inputs (SAE-J1939,SAE-J1979,ISO15765,OBD-II).
1 x SAE J1708/SAE J1587 inputs.
Memory 512MB memory (4GB option).
3 x internal accelerometers.
Sample Rate up to 4KHz on all external sensor inputs.
All data protected in case of power loss.
Operating temperature range minus 40 degC to plus 85 degC.
IP protection IP65 (IP67 on DR908-SLD).
Black Anodised Aluminium enclosure.

ALL Isaac data recorders have a wide range of compatible sensors,peripherals and communications devices.
Using CAN 2.0, the NEW Isaac Device Network (IDN) consists of modules such as a 20Hz GPS receiver,a Relay Controller,an 8 input Thermocouple signal conditioning module and several others.
Isaacs wireless communication options include transceivers for Bluetooth,WiFi,900MHz wireless and GPRS.

If you are involved in Vehicle Development Testing,Vehicle Durability Testing or Fleet Management contact DATRON
today for full details of these outstanding,feature rich ISAAC Instrument products.  

Our systems are suitable for testing of Hybrid (HEV), Full Electric(EV), Fuel Cell and High-Efficiency conventional vehicles of all types.Cars, Vans, Motorbikes and Buses plus Light and Heavy Commercials,etc,etc can all be instrumented.
Development of technologies such as K.E.R.S , capacitive and mechanical energy storage, hydrogen, bio-fuels and other forms of energy generation and recovery can benefit from accurate and reliable measurement and data recording.

Whether for development of drivetrain, chassis, energy evaluation,battery monitoring or vehicle dynamics our team can configure efficient and cost-effective systems tailored to our customer requirements.

In addition to supplying tools for the engineering development of Low Carbon Vehicles we have tried and tested solutions for Fleet Testing enabling accurate evaluation of usage patterns,driver style, fuel-saving and energy efficiency parameters.

Our systems provide a flexible and simple-to-use technology with plug & play sensors, easy connectivity to vehicle CAN & OBDII plus intuative software packages for configuration and data analysis.

Datron are already involved in projects with a number of well know names in the EV/HEV vehicle field so if you are working in Low Carbon Vehicle technology and are unsure about how to best monitor vehicle systems parameters to give you the data you need; then talk to the Datron team today.

Datron are please to introduce the latest development from Vericom Computers a U.S.-based company who's products are fast becoming a world-wide standard in Vehicle Performance testing and Police Department Accident Investigation work.

A result of over 25 years of development the NEW VC4000DAQ instrument is ideal for all situations where engineers and officials need to measure and quantify tyre-to-road surface friction and vehicle performance parameters.

Now with OBDII interfacing, 5Hz GPS,a large 58 minutes of data storage and up to 16 external sensor input options the VC4000DAQ becomes an instrument with a huge range of vehicle test applications. The internal Tri-Axis accelerometers have programmable ranges of 0-to-2G or 0-to-6G, with selectable sample rates of
1Hz,10Hz,100Hz,500Hz or 1000Hz at 16-bit resolution.Digital self-levelling is done automatically.

A total of up to 16 external sensors may be connected to the VC4000DAQ and easily configured using Vericoms'quick-connect, plug-and-play feature. So GPS,tachometer,pressure,temperature,force and many other types of sensor enable the user to build a reliable data acquisition system.

A variety of PC interfacing is available as standard;USB,RS232,Bluetooth,SD Flash card and data streaming.The Vericom Profile-4 software is XP & Vista compatible and is a powerful,user-friendly package giving engineers and officers the ability to graph, overlay,compare,tabulate and display test data using pre-programmed graphs and tables or users can design their own to create specific reports.The software may be used on several computers without any additional licencing costs.

User calibration checks are easily made avoiding the additional costs and down-time incured when other manufacturers devices have to be annually factory calibrated.

The VC4000DAQ is supplied in a professional-style,multi-pocket camera bag for easy transportation of the unit and many of it's accessories.

The feature-rich,user-friendly VC4000DAQ is an ideal test tool for vehicle engineers doing single or multiple-vehicle testing,drag racers and also for Police Traffic Accident Investigation Departments for whom accurate,reliable data is essential for court room presentations.

Contact Datron today for full VC4000DAQ product information and to arrange a demonstration.

Safety,Comfort and Economy have always been in the forefront of their phylosophy.Black Cabs operate in one of
the most demanding urban environments;the streets of London and can be hailed in other major cities.

To enhance the companys vehicle testing capabilities on the NEW TX4 models(pictured),LTI Vehicles have invested in test systems
from Datron Technology.They are using a Vericom VC3000DAQ system for brake testing and performance testing and also an
Isaac Instruments V7-PRO Data Logging system for logging and analysis of drivetrain parameters.

The VERICOM VC3000DAQ is used by LTI to measure stopping distance,time elapsed,average deceleration and
peak deceleration in development trials of the TX4's ABS braking system.The easy and simple to operate VC3000 means
that multiple tests can be made very quickly in succession so that,for example,any brake fade can be detected.
Brake pedal effort and travel are also measured by LTI using a brake pedal mounted load cell sensor
and a wire potentiometer.

The VC3000DAQ is also used in it's "Acceleration" mode to enable LTI Vehicles to optimise and benchmark a variety of engine
and drivetrain configurations.The system will measure acceleration from zero or between various speeds in a vehicles
performance envelope,for example 20 to 40 mph or 30 to 50mph.It also records lateral accelerations when a test vehicle is
cornering.

Non-contact sensing means that the sensor measures only the true relative motion of the target. For vehicle ground speeds, wheel slip is no longer an issue. For conveyor belts, the actual speed of product can be measured. For amusement park rides, the support structure can act as a target.

The sensor can be used for quick, portable measurements or it can be mounted permanently to monitor a single lane of a highway as part of a complete monitoring system. Multiple sensors placed on an overhead structure such as a signpost or overpass can be used to give a complete picture of traffic flow by lane in a given location.

Traffic Monitoring
The Doppler Radar Speed Sensor can be used in many different traffic monitoring situations to give vehicle speeds and counts. It can also be used to give estimates of vehicle length which can be used in classifying traffic flow by vehicle type.

Amusement Park
Perhaps one of the most demanding applications of the Doppler Radar Speed Sensor is in amusement park ride testing.

Whether you are involved in Vehicle Dynamics Testing, ADAS testing or Slip Angle measurement, the following news will be of interest to you...

OxTS works with IDIADA and ABD on ADAS test systems

OxTS, IDIADA and ABD are combining their expertise, their high-technology systems and excellent facilities to provide customers with a complete ADAS testing solution. To read more about this, click here...

Cost-effective improvement to GPS measurements

Problems with GPS jumps and drop-outs? The newly developed INERTIAL+ Navigation System is an extremely price competitive solution for improving measurements from a GPS receiver. Read more about the benefits of the INERTIAL+ here...

250Hz and dual GPS - RT2502-250

The low-cost RT2500 family is now available with both dual GPS and 250Hz update rate. Perfect for slip angle in all dynamic conditions, the RT2502-250 is faster than GPS-only solutions, with smoother high bandwidth measurements. The RT2500 family is cost effective too, costing about the same as an optical slip sensor.

Demo systems available

We have many demo systems available in the UK. If you are interested in testing the RT Inertial and GPS navigation systems, please contact us to arrange a suitable date for you.

FMVSS 126 - Electronic Stability Control

The high-precision RT Inertial and GPS navigation systems will make the job of performing ESC tests a lot easier. It will also save time and increase accuracy and repeatability over conventional sensors. To read what makes the RT systems the ideal tool for ESC testing, click here...

Datron Technology is the UK distributor of the RT line of Inertial and GPS systems. If you would like to receive additional information on our products, a quotation or a product demonstration then we would be happy to help.