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PRIAUTO Builds a High-Reliability VRU Target Portfolio Originating from Early International VRU AEB Assessment Research
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With the rapid development of intelligent driving, active safety and automatic emergency braking systems, the protection of vulnerable road users, VRUs, has become a core topic in global vehicle safety assessment and intelligent driving validation. Active safety systems are now expected not only to detect and avoid conventional pedestrians, bicyclists and powered two-wheeler users, but also to handle child-specific postures, e-bike riders, powered tricycle users, shared-bike riders, motorcyclists, occluded crossing scenarios, sudden emergence cases, nighttime low-visibility conditions and animal crossing risks.
To support global intelligent driving safety validation, PRIAUTO has developed a high-reliability VRU target portfolio covering pedestrians, children, cyclists, two-wheelers, China-oriented traffic participants, special child-risk scenarios and animal targets. The portfolio originates from the early international research achievements of the IUPUI TASI team in VRU AEB assessment, pedestrian targets, bicyclist targets, active safety test methods and testing equipment since 2010, and has been continuously advanced through SAE and ISO standardization activities as well as C-NCAP 2026 draft-related testing requirements.
PRIAUTO provides not only individual test targets, but also a systematic capability covering target definition, product development, test method research, sensor feature design, target carriers and complete proving-ground safety validation solutions.
Originating from IUPUI TASI’s Early International VRU AEB Research Since 2010
PRIAUTO’s VRU target technology originates from the long-term research achievements of the IUPUI TASI team in automotive active safety and vulnerable road user protection. As early as 2010, the team began systematic research on VRU AEB assessment, pedestrian and bicyclist targets, active safety test methods and testing equipment, making it one of the early international research groups dedicated to VRU AEB evaluation.
The team carried out comprehensive studies based on real-world crash data, naturalistic driving data, human and cyclist motion characteristics, multi-sensor detectable features and engineering implementation of test targets. These efforts helped advance VRU test targets from simple physical surrogates to high-fidelity, standardized and repeatable test objects. The research and achievements received attention and coverage from Discovery and CCTV, reflecting their forward-looking value and influence in the field of active safety testing.
PRIAUTO is an important platform for the engineering transformation, productization and industrialization of these research achievements. The company transforms more than a decade of international research accumulation into standardized VRU targets, testing equipment and systematic validation solutions for the intelligent vehicle industry.
An Important Contributor and Leading Participant in SAE J3116 Pedestrian Targets and SAE J3157 Bicyclist Targets
PRIAUTO’s team has been an important contributor and leading participant in SAE active safety target standardization, especially in the development of SAE J3116 pedestrian targets and SAE J3157 bicyclist targets.
SAE J3116 focuses on active safety pedestrian test mannequins. It establishes specifications and requirements for adult and child pedestrian test mannequins that are representative of real pedestrians to the sensors used in pedestrian detection systems, including vision, LiDAR and 76–78 GHz radar, and that can be used for assessing in-vehicle warning and braking systems. Around this technical direction, PRIAUTO has continuously advanced pedestrian target design in terms of body dimensions, appearance, gait motion, radar response, LiDAR reflectivity, visual detectability and engineering reliability.
SAE J3157 focuses on active safety bicyclist test targets. It defines recommended characteristics for bicyclist test targets that are representative of real bicyclists to vision, LiDAR and 76–78 GHz radar-based bicyclist detection systems, and that can be used for assessing pre-collision warning and braking functions. PRIAUTO has developed systematic capabilities around rider posture, bicycle geometry, wheel rotation, pedaling motion, radar micro-Doppler characteristics, visual features, structural robustness and rapid post-impact recovery.
Through its deep involvement and leadership in SAE pedestrian and bicyclist target standardization, PRIAUTO has built not only product development capability, but also comprehensive expertise in standard interpretation, test object definition, sensor feature design and engineering reliability validation.
An Important Participant in the Revision of ISO 19206-2 Pedestrian Target Specifications
The ISO 19206 series is an important international standard framework for target vehicles, vulnerable road users and other objects used for assessing active safety functions. ISO 19206-2 specifies requirements for pedestrian targets and serves as a key technical basis for pedestrian AEB, VRU perception and active safety assessment.
PRIAUTO’s team is also an important participant in the revision of ISO 19206-2 pedestrian target specifications. In areas such as pedestrian target geometry, human appearance, visual features, millimeter-wave radar response, LiDAR reflectivity, sensor consistency, test repeatability and engineering reliability, PRIAUTO continues to contribute systematic experience from long-term research, standardization and product validation.
This standardization capability enables PRIAUTO to establish strong technical links among SAE, ISO, C-NCAP, Euro NCAP, ASEAN NCAP and OEM R&D validation needs, providing a more stable, reliable and internationally compatible target portfolio for global intelligent driving safety assessment.
China-Oriented VRU Targets with Representative Clothing Features for the C-NCAP 2026 Draft Requirements
As the C-NCAP assessment system continues to evolve toward China-specific real-world traffic scenarios, VRU protection and AEB VRU testing place higher requirements on localization, scenario representativeness and multi-sensor consistency of test targets.
To address the new AEB VRU target requirements proposed in the C-NCAP 2026 draft for public consultation, PRIAUTO has developed China-oriented VRU targets with representative clothing features. These products are not merely conventional pedestrian targets with changed clothing. Instead, they are systematically designed around typical Chinese pedestrian clothing colors, visual textures, body contours, adult and child proportions, rider appearances, two-wheeler forms, multi-sensor detectable characteristics and test repeatability.
The China-oriented VRU target series can cover adult pedestrian targets, child pedestrian targets, static pedestrian targets, pedestrian-with-umbrella targets, crouching child targets, child-on-ride-on-toy targets, e-bike rider targets, shared bicyclist targets, motorcyclist targets and powered tricycle rider targets. The portfolio supports AEB VRU scenarios related to the C-NCAP 2026 draft, as well as pedestrian AEB, child AEB, two-wheeler AEB, intersection conflict testing, turning scenarios, occlusion scenarios and complex mixed-traffic validation.
By adopting clothing and appearance features that better reflect real traffic participants in China, the targets provide more representative inputs for camera-based perception systems. At the same time, they maintain the geometric features, radar responses, LiDAR reflectivity, motion characteristics and repeatability required for millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR and multi-sensor fusion testing.
This product direction indicates that VRU targets are evolving from simply meeting general international standard requirements toward a more systematic target portfolio designed for China-specific traffic characteristics, C-NCAP local assessment needs and complex intelligent driving validation scenarios.
From Standard VRU Targets to China-Scenario Targets
Traditional VRU targets mainly emphasize standardization, repeatability and international consistency. However, next-generation targets for China-oriented road safety assessment must also reflect the actual structure and behavioral complexity of Chinese traffic participants.
In Chinese urban traffic, e-bikes, shared bicycles, powered tricycles, motorcycles, children’s ride-on toys and occluded crossing scenarios are highly common. Pedestrian clothing colors, carried objects, crossing behavior, intersection interaction and roadside occlusion also show distinct local characteristics.
For intelligent driving systems, safety validation becomes more meaningful when test targets and scenarios are closer to real-world traffic conditions. Only in such test environments can potential weaknesses in perception algorithms, object classification, trajectory prediction and braking strategies be effectively identified.
PRIAUTO’s China-oriented VRU target portfolio is designed to meet this need. It supports not only standardized testing, but also R&D validation, perception algorithm development, sensor benchmarking, edge-case construction and region-specific safety assessment.
Integrating Animal Targets into a Broader VRU and Non-Vehicle Road-Risk Target Portfolio
In the traditional definition, VRUs mainly include pedestrians, cyclists and powered two-wheeler users. As intelligent driving validation expands from urban roads to rural roads, mountain roads, nighttime conditions and open-road environments, the objects that active safety systems must detect and avoid are becoming broader and more diverse.
Therefore, PRIAUTO integrates animal targets into a broader VRU and non-vehicle road-risk target portfolio, forming a comprehensive target system covering pedestrians, cyclists, two-wheelers, region-specific traffic participants, child-related scenarios and animal crossing scenarios. This portfolio supports not only standardized AEB VRU testing, but also the validation of perception, recognition, prediction and collision avoidance capabilities under complex open-road conditions.
Animal crossing is an important real-world hazard for ADAS and automated driving systems operating beyond controlled urban environments. Unlike pedestrians and cyclists, animals have different body heights, body proportions, postures, reflection characteristics and sudden crossing behaviors, creating new challenges for object classification, trajectory prediction and braking decisions.
PRIAUTO’s Animal Target Series currently includes large dog targets, wild boar targets and sheep targets, with additional animal types available through customization according to regional road risks and customer testing needs. The targets are designed with reference to real animal body dimensions, appearance and multi-sensor detectable characteristics. Static and leg-actuated versions are available to support stationary animal detection, animal crossing scenarios, nighttime animal recognition, rural road risk validation, perception algorithm development and animal AEB testing.
The animal targets are compatible with flat-panel target carriers, belt-driven traction systems and other proving-ground motion platforms. They support camera, millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR and multi-sensor fusion testing. By incorporating animal targets into the broader VRU and non-vehicle road-risk target portfolio, PRIAUTO extends intelligent driving testing from urban traffic participant scenarios to real-world risks such as animal crossing in open-road environments.
A Comprehensive High-Reliability VRU Target Portfolio
To address different VRU types, regional traffic characteristics and test protocol requirements, PRIAUTO has built a comprehensive target portfolio covering pedestrians, children, cyclists, two-wheelers, powered tricycles, shared mobility users, animal targets and special child-risk scenarios.
For pedestrian testing, PRIAUTO provides SAE adult pedestrian targets, ISO adult pedestrian targets, child pedestrian targets, static pedestrian targets, pedestrian-with-umbrella targets and China-oriented pedestrian targets with representative clothing features. These products can be used for pedestrian AEB, pedestrian detection, sensor performance validation, system calibration, occluded crossing, stationary pedestrian cases, roadside pedestrian scenarios, umbrella occlusion and complex urban traffic testing.
For child-related safety scenarios, PRIAUTO has further developed crouching child targets and child-on-ride-on-toy targets. These products support reverse AEB, low-speed parking, residential areas, school zones, sudden child appearance, low-height object recognition and blind-zone detection scenarios.
For cyclist and two-wheeler scenarios, PRIAUTO provides standardized bicyclist targets, e-bike targets, shared bicycle targets, motorcycle targets and moped targets. These products support bicyclist AEB, crossing scenarios, same-direction rear-end scenarios, intersection conflicts, urban mixed traffic, radar micro-Doppler analysis and multi-sensor fusion evaluation.
For complex traffic environments in China and Southeast Asia, PRIAUTO further offers region-specific targets such as e-bike targets, powered tricycle targets, motorcycle targets and shared bicycle targets, supporting C-NCAP, ASEAN NCAP, intelligent driving R&D testing and regionalized safety validation.
Extreme Reliability: Excellent Performance Maintained After Heavy-Truck Run-Over
VRU AEB and intelligent driving proving-ground testing typically require a large number of repeated trials. For test targets, simply looking like a real object is not enough. They must also maintain structural integrity and stable sensor performance under repeated collisions, high-speed impacts, run-over events and complex outdoor testing environments.
PRIAUTO pedestrian and bicyclist targets have undergone rigorous reliability and durability validation. Related tests show that under extreme conditions, including high-speed heavy commercial vehicle impacts, hundreds of collisions and multiple run-over events, the targets can still maintain appearance integrity and performance stability. In particular, key sensor characteristics such as radar cross section, RCS, remain stable.
PRIAUTO’s published test results show that its pedestrian target maintained both appearance and performance, especially RCS performance, after high-speed heavy-truck impacts, multiple collisions and repeated run-over events. The target complies with SAE J3116 and ISO 19206 specifications and meets Euro NCAP testing requirements.
This reliability performance is highly significant for Euro NCAP HGV, commercial vehicle AEB, heavy-duty vehicle VRU protection testing and high-intensity R&D validation. Heavy trucks have enormous inertia at high speeds, and conventional targets are prone to structural damage, sensor-feature drift or slow recovery after impact and run-over events. In contrast, PRIAUTO targets can maintain performance integrity under extreme working conditions, greatly improving test continuity, repeatability and efficiency.
With high-strength structural design, modular rapid recovery capability and stable radar, vision and LiDAR feature retention, PRIAUTO pedestrian and bicyclist targets demonstrate clear advantages over conventional products in reliability, durability and long-term operating cost. They are especially suitable for high-frequency, large-scale and high-intensity proving-ground testing programs.
High-Fidelity Multi-Sensor Characteristics for Realistic Intelligent Driving Validation
Modern intelligent driving systems usually rely on cameras, millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR and multi-sensor fusion. Different sensors identify targets through different mechanisms, so test targets must provide realistic visual appearance, appropriate geometry, representative radar response, stable LiDAR reflectivity, reasonable kinematic behavior and, where applicable, micro-Doppler features.
PRIAUTO targets are systematically designed around multi-sensor consistency. Pedestrian targets reproduce human body dimensions, posture, clothing and walking motion. Child targets simulate child body size, low-height posture and special movement scenarios. Bicyclist and e-bike targets simulate riding posture, wheel rotation, pedaling motion and radar micro-Doppler characteristics. Motorcycle, powered tricycle and shared bicycle targets represent more complex vehicle structures and riding behaviors. Animal targets further expand validation capability to non-human road users with different shapes, heights, postures and motion patterns.
Through these high-fidelity targets, PRIAUTO supports the complete safety validation needs of intelligent driving systems, from standard protocol testing to R&D validation and edge-case scenario development.
From International Research and Standards to China-Specific Scenario Application
PRIAUTO’s target portfolio reflects a clear technology development path. It originated from the early international VRU AEB assessment and target research carried out by the IUPUI TASI team since 2010. These research achievements were further developed through standardization activities related to SAE J3116 pedestrian targets, SAE J3157 bicyclist targets and ISO 19206-2 pedestrian targets. Through PRIAUTO, these technologies have been engineered, productized and industrialized.
Today, PRIAUTO is further adapting this technical foundation to China’s road traffic characteristics and the C-NCAP 2026 draft-related testing requirements, forming a localized target portfolio that better reflects real traffic conditions in China.
This means that PRIAUTO is not only a test target supplier, but also an intelligent driving safety validation solution provider with capabilities in test method research, international standard interpretation, target feature design, multi-sensor response control, complex scenario construction and system integration.
Supporting Global Intelligent Driving Safety Validation
As L2–L5 intelligent driving systems continue to evolve, vehicles must be able to detect and avoid not only standardized pedestrians, bicyclists and two-wheelers, but also complex mixed traffic participants, low-height child targets, occluded crossing objects, intersection conflicts, animal crossings and nighttime low-visibility hazards.
PRIAUTO will continue to build on its capabilities in active safety testing, VRU target development, animal target development, SAE/ISO international standardization, C-NCAP 2026 draft scenario adaptation and proving-ground test system integration. The company will continue to deliver high-fidelity, high-reliability and high-consistency test targets and complete validation solutions.
With a comprehensive product portfolio covering international standard targets, China-oriented VRU targets with representative clothing features, region-specific traffic participant targets and animal targets, PRIAUTO is committed to helping global OEMs, intelligent driving companies, sensor suppliers, testing organizations and research institutes build more systematic, reliable and real-world-oriented safety validation capabilities, supporting the safer, more reliable and more trustworthy deployment of intelligent vehicles.