Vehicle Test Track

  Copyright: © ATC

Aldenhoven Testing Center (ATC) is a state-of-the art interdisciplinary testing center for mobility on an area of 45.000 square meters. It is operated by ATC – Aldenhoven Testing Center of RWTH Aachen University GmbH, a joint venture of Düren county and RWTH Aachen University. ATC was built between 2009 and 2013 on the grounds of the former coal mine Emil Mayrisch in Aldenhoven, Germany, and thus represents an example for successful structural change. All aspects of future challenges and possibilities towards modern mobility can be developed and tested at ATC.

The installation was financed by capital of RWTH Aachen University as well as public funding of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund). Thus, the Chair of Thermodynamics of Mobile Energy Conversion Systems (TME), Automotive Engineering IKA, and Automatic Control IRT of RWTH Aachen University as main users directly contributed financially in addition to RWTH Aachen University.

Twelve track elements provide outstanding conditions for research, development and validation of single systems up to full vehicles. Classic elements such as an oval circuit, a vehicle dynamics area or a handling course are among them. The new and highly variable urban environment allows inner city situations while the Autobahn element is best suited for interurban traffic.

Thanks to a cooperation with Vodafone an open mobile communications test field, the 5G Mobility Lab, which provides – besides dedicated WiFi – current and future mobile communication generations for connecting vehicle and infrastructure is installed. In addition, the world wide one-of-a-kind Galileo automotiveGATE allows development and testing of applications, systems and components already now, i. e. before a suffi cient number of satellites is available from the orbit.

 

Acknowledgement

The Aldenhoven Testing Center (ATC) is funded by the European Regional Development Fund ( EFRE ) and the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Energie, Industrie, Mittelstand und Handwerk des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen ( MWEIMH ).