ADAS and vehicle systems evaluation
Evaluate how driver assistance features and related vehicle systems behave under real-world and non-ideal conditions, then identify the safety gaps that matter.
Sr. Automotive Engineer | Central Florida
Vehicle safety research for the edge cases.
I help teams turn ADAS behavior, vehicle dynamics, battery testing, headlamp evaluation, and complex test data into clear engineering decisions.
10 years in ADAS
Hands-on vehicle testing, system evaluation, safety planning, and research execution.
Data into judgment
DewesoftX, Excel, Python workflows, validation logic, and technical reporting.
Real-world focus
Evaluation methods built around non-ideal conditions, limitations, and safety relevance.
What I Make Clear
Modern vehicles are complicated. The explanation should not be.
I work where vehicle behavior, sensor limits, human expectations, and safety decisions collide. My job is to define the right question, collect defensible data, and make the findings useful.
Methodology and test planning
Build test plans around clear objectives, repeatable scenarios, meaningful performance metrics, instrumentation needs, and practical safety controls.
Analysis and technical reporting
Use DewesoftX, Excel, Python, and engineering review to turn raw vehicle data into structured conclusions for internal, external, and industry audiences.
About John
Practical engineering, shaped by the track and sharpened by data.
I'm John Partridge, a Sr. Automotive Engineer based in Central Florida with a decade of ADAS, vehicle testing, and vehicle safety research experience. My current work centers on technical planning, hands-on engineering analysis, safety oversight, data review, and clear technical documentation for modern vehicle systems.
My focus is ADAS behavior, sensing limits, control performance, and operational boundaries, along with vehicle dynamics work such as kinematics and compliance, moment of inertia, and center of gravity measurement. That work is rounded out by battery quality and performance testing, validation of battery testing instruments, headlamp photometry and glare research, instrumentation, data acquisition, and repeatable analysis workflows. Earlier in my career, I managed test-facility operations and helped advanced-driving features move through validation programs; that background still informs how I manage risk and keep field execution grounded.
Outside of professional work, I grew up around race cars and short tracks. My grandparents, Bernie Partridge and P.J. Partridge, are part of NHRA history, and that legacy gave me an early respect for preparation, feedback, and the details that separate a guess from a decision.
Engineering Stack
The work blends field judgment with disciplined analysis.
Good research is not just a clean chart. It is the chain from scenario design to safety oversight to data quality to conclusions that can survive scrutiny.
ADAS behaviorSystem limits, sensing, controls, performance, and operational context.
Vehicle dynamicsKinematics and compliance testing on the Suspension Parameters Measurement Machine, moment-of-inertia and center-of-gravity measurement, and the chassis instincts that come from years of racecar setup.
Vehicle dataDewesoftX, ControlDesk, MATLAB, Excel, and Python workflows; custom calculators, validation logic, and reproducible analysis pipelines.
Battery testingBattery quality evaluation, battery performance characterization, and validation of battery testing instruments through controlled comparisons.
Headlamp researchPhotometric measurement, aim and angle analysis aligned with FMVSS 108 and ECE R112, and glare research grounded in field data and literature.
Safety researchRisk planning, field execution support, documentation, and stakeholder-ready reports.
Experience
From proving grounds to public-facing research.
My background spans vehicle setup, instrumentation, facility leadership, ADAS testing, engineering tools, customer-facing technical programs, and safety-focused research.
2024-Present
AAA Inc
Senior Automotive Engineer
- Supports vehicle safety research from test concept through execution, analysis, and reporting, with work centered on ADAS, vehicle dynamics, battery performance, headlamp evaluation, and emerging vehicle technology.
- Defines test objectives, scenarios, performance metrics, instrumentation needs, safety controls, and data collection strategies for repeatable, real-world evaluations.
- Evaluates ADAS behavior in real-world and non-ideal conditions, including sensing limits, control behavior, operational boundaries, and broader vehicle-system interaction.
- Oversees project-specific safety planning and risk mitigation for vehicle test activities, including field execution decisions when test conditions or vehicle behavior change.
- Analyzes vehicle data in DewesoftX, ControlDesk, MATLAB, Excel, and Python; builds custom calculators, validation logic, reference data, and repeatable analysis workflows.
- Supports battery quality and performance testing, validation of battery testing instruments, headlamp photometry, aim and angle analysis, and glare research.
- Communicates methodology and findings with internal leaders, external partners, manufacturers, and industry stakeholders so results are interpreted accurately.
- Writes clear technical reports documenting methodology, assumptions, limitations, results, and conclusions for internal leaders, external partners, manufacturers, and public-facing research.
2017-2024
Dynamic Research Inc
Sr. Automotive Engineer / Testing Facility Manager
- Performed ADAS, autonomous-vehicle technology, and vehicle-dynamics testing across planning, vehicle preparation, instrumentation, data acquisition, analysis, and customer-facing recommendations.
- Managed daily operations of DRI's Shafter satellite testing facility, overseeing engineers and technicians while refining test services, equipment readiness, and facility capability.
- Developed MATLAB post-processors, supported database management, and maintained, repaired, and modified test equipment to keep programs moving.
- Operated the Suspension Parameters Measurement Machine for kinematics and compliance testing, and performed moment-of-inertia and center-of-gravity measurements supporting vehicle-dynamics and ADAS validation programs.
- Onboarded and trained engineers on DRI processes, testing procedures, and troubleshooting during equipment or software malfunctions.
- Collaborated with customers and government agencies on ADAS and autonomous-vehicle safety research, including proposals, statements of work, budgets, and project scope.
- Created detailed project budgets for equipment, personnel, preparation, proving-ground rental, and execution planning to support accurate forecasting and customer decisions.
- Used communication and negotiation skills to present technical proposals, explain test scope, and build confidence in DRI's capability to execute complex programs.
- Planned capital equipment upgrades and facility expansion work, including the coordinated expansion of the DRI test facility and proving grounds.
- Led development of the low-inertia robotic steering controller used in Lane Keeping Assist System testing.
2016-2017
Bernell Hydraulics Inc
Systems Engineer
- Assisted customers by troubleshooting hydraulic system malfunctions, sizing and rebuilding pumps, valves, and cylinders, and providing technical sales support.
- Built a practical mechanical-systems foundation through hands-on diagnosis, component selection, repair recommendations, failure analysis, and customer communication.
Education
Mechanical engineering foundation, applied in the real world.
Formal engineering training plus years of hands-on vehicle work give me a practical lens for complex technical problems.
Cal Poly Pomona
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering
Chaffey College
Associate of Arts, University Studies: Math and Science
Contact
Need someone who can make vehicle behavior make sense?
For vehicle safety research, ADAS evaluation, vehicle-dynamics testing, battery testing, headlamp research, data review, or technical reporting, I bring the field perspective and engineering discipline to turn complexity into clear decisions.