AFRL technology tested in California

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ROME, N.Y. (AFPN) --  Take the bus and leave the driving to embedded software.

While it might not be a catchy slogan, that is exactly what happened when California Department of Transportation officials test drove software developed under the Air Force Research Laboratory-managed Model-Based Integration of Embedded Software program. The demonstration showcased technologies that helped two transit buses automatically maintain a set separation distance at highway speeds.

Caltrans officials used transit buses fitted with an experimental cooperative adaptive cruise control system, which was developed as part of the software program.

The system differs from traditional cruise control systems in that the lead vehicle communicates its state information to a following vehicle, said Dale Van Cleave, AFRL’s information directorate project engineer. That vehicle uses the state information with its own sensors to maintain a specified distance between itself and the lead vehicle.

The demonstration took place on a seven-mile stretch of reversible commuter lanes on an interstate near San Diego, with the lanes closed to regular traffic during the testing and demonstrations.

University of California at Berkeley officials and Caltrans officials conducted the demonstration, with support from advanced architecture and integration branch officials at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

"(The embedded software system) is developing application-independent tool technologies for reusable component-based software for complex, real-time, embedded systems" Mr. Van Cleave said.

The technology is intended to help people work the bugs out of complex real-time embedded software application designs and ultimately makes developing these applications more effective and efficient, he said.

"This technology is important to the Air Force because of the increasing design time, cost and risk associated with the growing complexity of embedded software for modern weapons systems," he said.

The demonstration’s hardware included two 40-foot-long compressed natural gas buses and one 60-foot diesel-fueled bus. All were equipped with actuators (brake and steering) and sensors (accelerometers, gyroscope, magnetometers, radar and lidar), Mr. Van Cleave said. In addition, a wireless system was installed to allow vehicle-to-vehicle communications.

The embedded-software program helped develop the onboard software responsible for the longitudinal control for the vehicles' cruise system, he said.

This program includes three application areas: avionics, automotive and signal processing, Mr. Van Cleave said.

The bus demonstration was the final demonstration for the automotive technology area. Final demonstrations are planned for the remaining two areas within the next year of the research program. (Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)