What is ADAS Calibration?

New cars come outfitted with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). These advanced safety systems use sensors to gather information about vehicle surroundings. Sensors collect data that provides safety warnings. ADAS can even use sensor data to know when to take temporary control over a vehicle’s braking or steering, all in the name of driver safety. As with all sensors, vehicle ADAS sensors are only as accurate as they are calibrated to be. Enter ADAS calibration, a fast-growing need in the automotive industry.

ADAS calibration (and recalibration) is the precise physical alignment, testing, and electronic aiming of sensors that collect data to inform your vehicle’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), like forward collision warning (FCW), lane departure warning (LDW), automatic emergency braking (AEB), and several others.

Recalibration tells sensors where to look. It also shows sensors their position in relation to the vehicle. Most ADAS sensors require precise aiming. As AAA explains, “… a sensor on the car that is out of alignment by a fraction of an inch or even one degree will be aimed at an area significantly off axis 50 or more feet down the road.

Types of ADAS Calibration

ADAS-equipped vehicles require static calibration, dynamic calibration, or both — it depends on a vehicle’s ADAS systems and OEM recommendations.

Static ADAS Calibration

The majority of vehicles start with static calibration. Static ADAS calibration takes place in a controlled environment while the car is stationary. ADAS static calibration uses special tools in a specially rendered environment to precisely set sensor angles. For proper static calibration, technicians need:

Static ADAS Calibration Equipment

Several pieces of calibration equipment are also needed to perform ADAS static calibrations, including the following:

• An ADAS scan tool — most OEMs require a diagnostic tool to access and initiate electronic scan and calibration procedures.
• An alignment rack — while all static ADAS calibrations require a flat, level surface, some OEMs go above, requiring the use of an alignment rack.
• ADAS calibration tool — tool requirements vary by OEM, but they all have the purpose of holding up targets a precise, calculated, and measured distance from the vehicle, and are able to stay in place and hold targets in place.
• Aiming targets — Some vehicles use one target, while others use multiple targets. Many targets look like enlarged black and white patterns, while radar aiming targets can be metal pyramid shapes, reflective metal plates, or an electronic Doppler box.
• Measuring tapes — or laser measuring devices are a must. Precise measurements are taken from the ADAS tool to the targets and more.

Note: Depending on a vehicle’s age, make, and model, some static calibration procedures for forward-facing sensors will require manual adjustments. However, final adjustments occur during calibration and will be performed by the ADAS module itself, electronically.

Dynamic ADAS Calibration

Some vehicles require just a dynamic calibration. On the other hand, many require static calibration and include dynamic calibration as the final step in the ADAS calibration process. Dynamic calibration requires driving the vehicle at certain speeds and conditions, while connected to an ADAS scan tool — but it’s far from a test drive. While the dynamic calibration process varies by OEM, specific parameters are needed. Examples include driving on clearly marked roads, following one or more vehicles, avoiding curved roads, and driving at designated speeds.

Note: Dynamic calibration may require two technicians. One ADAS tech safely drives the vehicle while the other operates the scan tool.