Commercial bus development incorporates accelerated life testing, commonly referred to in the industry as the 'Altona test'. These tests are necessary for bus manufacturers to sell their vehicles in the United States, in particular to obtain the FTA (Federal Transit Association) grant programme. In 2017, this durability test introduced new, previously non-existent, criteria for passing or failing the test. It is therefore critical to prepare thoroughly for this test in advance to ensure its success given the costs involved in participating. This implies a much higher volume of testing than before, representing at least 3 similar pre-tests on the track before the bus is presented for the official test. The objective of the project is therefore to carry out all or part of the preliminary tests for the official test in autonomous driving mode in order to
- Increase the chances of success in the Altoona test;
- Increase our position in the ranking of unscheduled maintenance hours;
- Reduce the risk of driver accidents during testing;
- Reduce testing costs.
In addition to this driving system, the project aims to integrate on-board systems (cameras, sensors, etc.) that will allow real-time supervision of the tests.
This first step will pave the way for further development of such a system for customer applications. The interest in such systems was clearly demonstrated in the last call for projects for demonstration tests in various large American cities[4]. Novabus has been approached several times to participate in such 'technology showcases' earlier this year and sees future developments from this project.