Automated driving level 3 and up requires monitoring of the driver and passengers in the vehicle cabin. Features such as driver status monitoring (DSM) will be an integral part of the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) for passenger cars as of 2023. DSM systems are designed to detect driver distraction, fatigue, unresponsiveness, and vital signs to ensure that the driver can take over the steering wheel at any time and that passengers remain in their seats.

The radar sensors used for this operate in the V-band at 60 GHz. Flexible, precise test systems are required to check whether the radar sensor reliably detects the occupants in various test scenarios. In particular, if the entire chain of effects of the radar sensor is to be considered under vehicle cabin conditions, over-the-air testing is required.

• Automated driving also requires monitoring of drivers and passengers in the vehicle
• Radar sensors are key to detecting occupants – including human vital signs
• The functionality and safety of in-cabin monitoring systems can be validated by over-the-air radar target simulation
• dSPACE provides radar target simulators with particularly small RF front ends, which are ideal for use in the vehicle cabin
• The precision and simulation options of the DARTS hardware meet the requirements for the detection of vital signs using micro-Doppler