Matthew Jensen

Analysis of in-vehicle driver behaviour data for improved safety

Automotive safety is an important criterion for consumers, manufacturers and government regulators when considering vehicle design and driver operation. The availability of a driver classification system, based on in-vehicle operating data, offers a useful tool to create a safer transportation environment. In this paper, several mathematical strategies will be presented to analyse collected vehicle data for driver classification. A group of test subjects were supplied in-vehicle data acquisition devices and requested to drive their normal schedules. The collected data was analysed off-line and a driver classification system was proposed. Representative results will be presented and discussed to demonstrate the concept.

A Comparison of Multiple Control Strategies for Vehicle Run-Off-Road and Return

A large percentage of single-vehicle automobile crashes involve a situation called run-off-road (ROR) where the vehicle leaves the roadway and travels on the surfaces adjacent to the road. Present solutions such as roadway infrastructure modifications and vehicle safety systems have helped to mitigate some ROR events but remain limited in their approach. A complete solution must also directly address the primary factor contributing to ROR crashes, which is driver performance errors. In this paper, four vehicle safety control systems, based on sliding (SL) control, linear quadratic (LQ), state flow, and classical theories, were developed to autonomously recover a vehicle from ROR without driver intervention. The vehicle response was simulated for each controller under a variety of common road departure and return scenarios. The results showed that the LQ and SL control methodologies outperformed the other controllers in terms of overall stability. However, the LQ controller was the only design to safely recover the vehicle in all of the simulation conditions examined. On average, it performed the recovery almost 50% faster and with 40% less lateral error than the SL controller at the expense of higher yaw rates.

Evaluation of a customizable haptic feedback system for ground vehicle steer-by-wire interfaces

Advancements in mechatronic system technology has allowed the realization of adjustable automotive steering systems which can better meet customer preferences. Drive-by-wire systems use servo-motors, with accompanying sensors and control algorithms, to regulate the vehicles operation. In this paper, a multi-modal human-vehicle haptic interface has been developed for ground vehicle steer-by-wire systems. The mathematical model and control structure offer tunable gains that allow the emphasis of different feedback factors including steering stiffness, damping, power assist, aligning torques, end stop, and static friction. Three steering system factors were assessed: control and confidence, ease of use, and perceived vehicle safety. As measured, driver performance improved with the provision of aligning torque plus stiffness and damping effects. Subjective and objective operator-in-the-loop results demonstrated that the driver experience can be positively impacted using a reconfigurable force feedback formulation.

A Customizable Human/Vehicle Interface for Enhanced Operator Performance

The emergence of cost effective electronics and actuators within the transportation industry allows the presentation of increased driver feedback for greater situational awareness. The operator feedback channels can be broadly divided into visual, audio, and haptic. To date, the automotive community has primarily relied on instrument panel lamps and buzzer/chime sounds to notify the driver of important information while the vehicle’s interaction with the road is mechanically communicated through the steering wheel “feel” and the driver seat motion. However, an opportunity exists to integrate the visual, audio, and haptic feedback channels in a more effective manner to increase driver safety. For instance, the driver may receive haptic driving information through high frequency and low amplitude steering wheel vibrations. Visual feedback may be presented in the form of LED lights on the dashboard and instrument cluster. Similarly, audio messages that are recognized through a different cognitive process than visual and haptic signals may be integrated into the cockpit. In this paper, a comprehensive approach is proposed for driver communication through visual, audio, and haptic feedback. Laboratory tests have been conducted with human subjects using a custom driving simulator to evaluate driver notification strategies. The effectiveness of each feedback channel is evaluated and the results demonstrate that the coordinated presentation of vehicle operational data through targeted feedback channels increase the operator’s overall safety.Copyright

AUTOMOBILE SAFETY - CHILD SEAT ENTRAPMENT AND MECHATRONIC WARNING SYSTEM

Abstract The entrapment of humans and animals in stationary automobiles can lead to heat stroke and death, especially for young children and infants. The introduction of an occupant warning system would significantly reduce the occurrence of fatal entrapment. In this paper, a smart monitoring system will be integrated into a child safety seat and interfaced with its accompanying vehicle. The primary function of this device is to offer a warning if the child restraint contains an occupant, interior temperature is elevated, and the elapsed time within the automobile approaches a dangerous threshold. Specifically, an occupant detector circuit built into the child restraint certifies the presence of a passenger while a sensor monitors cabin temperature. Using an automobiles interior temperature profile, the system is capable of accurately determining the level of danger presented to entrapped passengers. This ensures that the smart child restraint system can decisively activate warning and rescue devices such as hazard lights, horn, power windows, seat fan, and tele-communication equipment. To assist in system calibration efforts, summer weather testing has been completed to explore cabin heating transients.

Automotive Participant Tailgating Safety Training Device: Design and Test

The safe operation of a ground vehicle requires a combination of driver skills and behaviour, motor–vehicle knowledge, and recognition of driving conditions and environments. One dangerous scenario commonly encountered by drivers is tailgating. In this paper, a lightweight tailgating device that can be installed on a sport utility vehicle (or truck) to support driver training activities will be presented. The tailgating apparatus has been field tested on a closed course as part of a safe driving programme. Objective vehicle measurements and subjective instructor evaluations revealed that 75% of students successfully completed the driving task at a passing level.

Simulation and thermodynamic analysis of extended expansion on a concept rotary engine including its effects on fuel efficiency

Abstract This paper describes a novel method for extended expansion in a rotary combustion engine running ordinary gasoline. The engine consists of a toroidal-shaped piston that rotates around a drum to expand and evacuate the hot gas. There are several problems with today’s internal combustion (IC) engines. Current IC engines do not always have the necessary internal volume to extract the maximum work possible, and since the whole process of compression, combustion, and expansion happen within the same space, excess heat builds up and increases emissions of nitric oxides and nitrogen dioxide. The proposed solution is to redesign the IC engine in order to supply greater expansion ratio by separating the compression and expansion processes. With the concept rotary engine, extending the expansion process showed improvements in the thermal and fuel efficiencies. Using a stroke length between 20 and 25 cm with a compression ratio of 10:1 produced the most efficient results with an efficiency range between 32 and 35%.