Using RTK-Based Automated Vehicles to Pre-Mark Temporary Road Marking Patterns for Test Maneuvers of Automated Vehicles

Numerous different road marking patterns are required to test advanced driver assistance systems and automated vehicles. These patterns are described in test protocols, e.g. from certifications, ratings and standards. Since proving ground operators possess only a confined space to provide these scenarios, solutions like agile alteration of road marking patterns are advisable. Furthermore, a high precision is necessary to comply with the specifications from the test protocols and to enable a high test-reproducibility. To achieve these goals mobile robots that follow determined trajectories can be used for pre-marking. Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning can facilitate a high accuracy. Since proving ground operators or their users commonly have access to automated vehicles such as passenger cars or robotic target platforms, I recommend utilizing these for highly accurate pre-marking for temporary maneuver markings on test tracks. In order to test this concept, a truck equipped with GPS, UHF, LTE antennas, a driving controller and a pre-marking apparatus, was setup to follow predetermined trajectories on the Mercedes-Benz proving ground in Immendingen, Germany. Measurements of the specified pre-marked lane width returned mean accuracies of 98.74 and 99.72 % for two individual maneuver markings. Due to a pre-marking velocity of 4 m/s, the time needed to apply the pre-marker is low. The results indicate application potentials for proving ground operators and testing service providers.