What Dynamic Research does

Dynamic Research, Inc. (DRI) is a Torrance, California-based automotive engineering firm founded in 1979 that designs and manufactures proprietary surrogate targets used to validate Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicle sensors. Its Soft 360 product family — comprising Soft Car 360, Soft Pedestrian 360, Soft Motorcycle 360, and Soft Bicycle 360 — uses patented modular foam construction with photo-realistic skins and calibrated radar/LiDAR reflectivity to mimic vulnerable road users and vehicles under high-speed impact without damaging the host vehicle. The company complements these targets with the ScanR automated radar and LiDAR object verification system, the Guided Soft Target (GST) low-profile robotic platform co-developed with AB Dynamics, and an active LED taillight add-on for camera-based ADAS testing.

DRI earns revenue across three streams: sale of proprietary ADAS target products to OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and testing houses; professional services delivered at its California proving ground in Shafter (Bakersfield) including ADAS testing, dynamics testing, K&C measurements, human factors research, vehicle dynamics simulation, and proving ground rental; and U.S. government-funded research contracts awarded by NHTSA to develop and validate new ADAS test procedures. Go-to-market is consultative enterprise sales direct to automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, regulatory bodies (NHTSA, Euro NCAP, IIHS), and independent testing organizations, with custom quote-based pricing under multi-year contracts and channel presence via industry trade shows, technical content, and PR in automotive testing publications.

DRI has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of AB Dynamics plc — a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange — since the 2019 acquisition that gave it expanded resources, integration with AB Dynamics' robotic platforms, and global market reach. Its installed base is anchored by Euro NCAP approvals covering all four Soft 360 target types for both passenger vehicles and heavy goods vehicles, and it operates the only independent North American K&C test facility using AB Dynamics' SPMM machine.

Name

Dynamic Research

Legal name

Dynamic Research, Inc.

Website

https://dynres.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dynamic Research designs and manufactures patented Soft 360 ADAS surrogate targets — pedestrian, vehicle, motorcycle, and bicycle — and delivers vehicle testing, K&C, and human factors services at its California proving ground to automotive OEMs, regulators (NHTSA, Euro NCAP, IIHS), and independent testing houses globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Safety Testing Equipment

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Calibration & Sensor Alignment (TLAKANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autonomous Driving & ADAS Perception (HDAAAEAI), Electrical, Diagnostics & ADAS Calibration (TLAKAAAF)

Keywords

• ADAS surrogate targets
• Vehicle safety testing
• Automotive proving ground
• Human factors research
• Suspension kinematics testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Torrance

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. ADAS Target Products: Sale of proprietary Soft 360 range of ADAS test targets including pedestrian, vehicle, bicycle, and motorcycle targets. Products sold directly to OEMs, testing houses, and regulatory bodies for ADAS validation testing.
2. Testing Services: Comprehensive vehicle testing services including ADAS testing, dynamics testing, human factors research, kinematics and compliance testing, and proving ground rental. Services conducted at company-owned California facilities.
3. NHTSA Research Contracts: Government-funded research contracts awarded by NHTSA for developing and validating new vehicle safety test procedures for ADAS and automated driving technologies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dynamic Research (DRI) designs and manufactures the proprietary Soft 360 family of ADAS surrogate test targets (Soft Car 360, Soft Pedestrian 360, Soft Motorcycle 360, Soft Bicycle 360) and the ScanR verification system for vehicle safety testing. The company also operates a private California proving ground delivering ADAS testing, vehicle dynamics, kinematics and compliance, human factors research, accident research, and adaptive driving beam headlight testing services to OEMs, regulators, and Tier 1 suppliers.

Product overview

DRI offers a unified portfolio of ADAS testing solutions comprising proprietary Soft 360 surrogate targets (Soft Car 360, Soft Pedestrian 360, Soft Motorcycle 360, Soft Bicycle 360) and supporting hardware platforms (GST, ScanR), alongside testing services including ADAS testing, proving ground rental, human factors research, kinematics and compliance testing, vehicle dynamics simulation, and accident research. The Soft 360 product line shares a design philosophy emphasizing sensor realism, durability, and modularity to minimize test vehicle damage. These products work in conjunction with AB Dynamics target platforms and driving robots to enable comprehensive testing across FMVSS, NHTSA NCAP, and Euro NCAP protocols.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soft Car 360: Lightweight and durable surrogate vehicle target for ADAS testing, adopted as Euro NCAP Global Vehicle Target.
• Soft Pedestrian 360
• Soft Motorcycle 360
• Soft Bicycle 360
• ScanR
• GST (Guided Soft Target)

Products and services

• Soft Car 360 Whole vehicle surrogate target for ADAS testing, available in hatchback (Euro NCAP Global Vehicle Target), sedan, and micro configurations. Propelled by a separate robotic platform and separates into lightweight parts on impact to minimize vehicle damage. Used by OEMs, testing houses, and regulators for ADAS validation.
• Soft Pedestrian 360

Quantifiable outcome

• Targets withstand over 100 high-speed impacts (72 km/h) without damage
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and historic.

• WestatmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRI partnered with Westat of Rockville, MD to undertake the NHTSA 'Human factors considerations for vehicle fail-safe strategies' project, a 20-month study. DRI provides human factors and driving simulator expertise along with facilities and equipment, while Westat leads the overall project coordination.
• AB DynamicscoreTechnology or IntegrationDeveloped the active taillight system for Soft Car 360 in collaboration with sister company AB Dynamics. The lighting system integrates seamlessly with AB Dynamics' software platforms and target platforms for coordinated test scenarios. Joint product development continues as ADAS technology evolves.
• Euro NCAPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRI's Soft Car 360 has been adopted as Euro NCAP's official Global Vehicle Target. DRI works with Euro NCAP laboratories and participates in protocol development to ensure targets meet evolving testing requirements.
• NHTSAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRI is an approved contractor for NHTSA NCAP testing and has been awarded five NHTSA vehicle safety research contracts to establish and validate new test procedures for ADAS and automated driving technologies. DRI actively participates in reviewing and providing feedback on draft procedures.
• Honda R&DhistoricStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRI collaborated with NHTSA and Honda R&D on the ACAT (Advanced Crash Avoidance Technologies) project in 2007, which developed practical methods for evaluating emerging ADAS technologies and established requirements for full-scale testing.
• IIHSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRI worked with IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) in 2011 on developing stable radar reflectivity specifications for surrogate vehicle targets, which became a core development milestone for the Soft Car 360.
• AB DynamicscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership began in 2012 when DRI began collaborating with AB Dynamics to further develop the GST product. AB Dynamics introduced the MK2 GST platform in 2018 with improved performance specifications including 100 km/h top speed.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Applus+ IDIADA: Spanish-headquartered automotive testing, certification, and engineering services group with proving grounds and homologation capabilities. Overlaps with DRI in ADAS and vehicle dynamics testing services for OEMs and regulators.
• UTAC CERAM: French automotive testing and certification group with proving grounds and homologation services. Competes with DRI in European ADAS and vehicle dynamics testing for OEMs and regulators.
• AB Dynamics plc: Parent company of DRI and a leading supplier of driving robots, ADAS platforms, and the MK2 GST used alongside DRI's Soft 360 targets. Operates globally with a broader product portfolio including track testing robots and simulation software.
• HORIBA MIRA: UK-based automotive engineering consultancy and proving ground operator providing ADAS, autonomous vehicle, and cybersecurity testing. Competes with DRI's proving ground rental and ADAS testing service lines.

Direct peers

• 4activeSystems: Austrian manufacturer of ADAS surrogate targets (4active box, pedestrian, child, motorcycle) for Euro NCAP and similar protocols. Directly competes with DRI's Soft 360 product family across the same OEM and test-house customers.
• CSI (Centro Studi Industriali): Italian crash testing house and ADAS testing provider serving European OEMs. Overlaps with DRI in homologation testing, ADAS validation, and Euro NCAP protocols.
• Messring Systembau: German manufacturer of crash test systems, sleds, and ADAS testing equipment. Competes with DRI in physical ADAS validation hardware and supplies vehicle safety labs globally.
• Humanetics: Global supplier of crash test dummies, ATDs, and an emerging portfolio of ADAS surrogate targets. Overlaps with DRI in automotive safety testing hardware and supplies Tier 1/OEMs with parallel validation products.

Others

• TASS International (Siemens): Pre-crash and active safety simulation software (now part of Siemens) used alongside physical ADAS testing. Adjacent to DRI's simulation service line and could substitute for some physical target testing over time.

Regional players

• ASTAZERO: Swedish proving ground and active safety test facility focused on European autonomous and ADAS testing. Comparable to DRI's proving ground rental and ADAS testing services but primarily serving European customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dynamic-research-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dynamic Research