Requirement Engineering for Active Safety Pedestrian Protection Systems based on Accident Research

Abstract

The possibility to assess active safety measures for pedestrian protection is a prerequisite for the definition of reasonable driver assistance systems and their sensor need. The Verps+-index combines In-Depth accident data, driver models and vehicle tests in a new way. As an example, different brake assist strategies are analysed regarding their safety benefit for pedestrian protection. Additionally, requirements for the sensor system will be defined. Different sensing principles can be rated regarding their compliance to these requirements. It can be shown that by use of environmental sensors a brake assist strategy which keeps the driver in the loop already obtains remarkable safety benefits for pedestrians, while more advanced autonomous emergency braking strategies retrieve only limited additional performance. This means that mayor benefits in pedestrian protection can already be obtained by using "simpler" environmental sensors with reduced pedestrian recognition capabilities.