Modifying an ADAS-equipped vehicle requires more consideration. Sensors and cameras can be hidden behind grills or bumpers, for example, something that someone modifying a vehicle needs to be aware of, Luis Morales, vehicle product data specialist at SEMA Garage, told viewers in the webinar.
Other vehicle modifications — changes to the suspension or even larger tires — also can impact how ADAS technology functions, he said.
"If you're doing modifications on vehicles or working in this space, you're going to need to be aware of what impact you're having on these systems, whether they're active safety systems or drive assistance systems," Brown said. "And you're service personnel need to be aware of how these operate so you can steer clear of challenges down the road."
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Right now, there is no industry standardization.
SEMA is working to change that, Morales said.
The organization will open its new SEMA Garage Detroit in Plymouth, Mich., in August. The 45,000-sq.-ft. facility will include a new ADAS Research and Development Center, where SEMA will conduct research and create a customized testing matrix. They plan to disseminate their findings to the industry, he said.
The ADAS center will have two rooms, one that allows for accurate static calibrations, and each with a large variety of specialized equipment and testing abilities.
By using a variety of equipment, SEMA can better understand how different equipment works with modified vehicles and share that information with the industry, Morales said.
SEMA is focusing on certain ADAS procedures in its first-round of testing — lane departure warning, crash or collision imminent braking, traffic jam assists, pedestrian automatic emergency braking, blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert, he said.
Those tests may change after the first round as they analyze information. The goal is to compare the function of a stock vehicle with one that's been modified, Morales said.
SEMA also will invite OEMs to the facility for testing and validation. Being located close to Detroit will allow that collaboration, he said.
The U.S. passed legislation in late 2021 that requires certain ADAS systems — automatic emergency braking (AEB), foward collision warning (FCW), lane departure warning (LDW) and lane keeping assist (LKA) — to be standard in new vehicles.
"Future vehicles all will be equipped with passive and active safety systems, Morales said.
"There's no option for none of these systems moving forward.
If you're developing aftermarket equipment for vehicles, you need to be aware that a sensor could be behind a bumper, for example.
"There's going to be a whole different piece of knowledge here that you're going to have to implement into your product development cycle," Morales said.
The SEMA Garage Detroit is set to open in August with an open house planned for the end of May.
