Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Contracts and Procurement, NAD-30, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Room 5301, Washington, D.C. 20590

B -- DRIVING SIMULATOR SUPPORT FOR HUMAN FACTORS TESTING SOL DTNH22-95-R-07168 POC Doris E. Medley, Contract Specialist, (202) 366-9560 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) intends to solicit and negotiate a contract with the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, to provide support services and simulator facilities in order to conduct experimental studies of driver performance using various advanced technology crash avoidance systems. The NHTSA crash avoidance research program focuses on applying advanced technology to the development and evaluation of systems that can augment driver capabilities. Such systems can provide drivers with enhanced perception of hazards, give warnings of impending danger, and/or intervene to take control of the vehicle. To help assure that these systems are safe and effective, NHTSA needs information about how drivers' abilities to avoid crashes are influenced by the operation and information display characteristics of a variety of systems. Research to collect this information requires experimental evaluations of how different system design features affect driver performance in crash likely situations. Because of the potential hazards to experimental subjects tested under crash likely situations, research needs to be conducted in the controlled, safe environment of a driving simulator. To ensure valid research results, the simulator should present the test subjects with as realistic a visual scene and dynamic vehicle response as possible. The proposed effort will require a high fidelity wide field of view simulator with the capability to simulate vehicle dynamics in 6 degrees of freedom, to display the roadway scene with high texture and high resolution graphics, to present a visual scene of 180 degrees horizontal by 40 degrees vertical, to present a separate rear view visible in the rear view mirrors, to permit software control of driving scenarios which can include simultaneous management of over 30 vehicles which can interact with the subject vehicle. The initial contract period will be two years. The Government will reserve the option to award up to three option years. Work required will be procured through the issuance of task orders. Interested parties that have the necessary labor, materials, and facilities to provide the support services must respond in writing to this announcement within fifteen (15) calendar days from the publication date in the CBD. Responses must include a capability statement describing facilities, personnel, and other features showing how the above stated requirements would be met. All capability statements submitted will be considered. In the absence of qualified responses to the announcement within the time frame specified, negotiations on a sole source basis will commence with the University of Iowa. This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP) nor is a RFP available. (0174)

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