Takashi Yokoi

Study on handling and stability using tire hardware-in-the-loop simulator

This paper presents development and application of a tire hardware-in-the-loop simulator (HILS) for evaluating vehicle dynamics. Tire HILS is a combination of a simulation (vehicle model) and an experiment (tires) part. The key to HILS is that simulation and experiment work is done together in the same time as a real time simulation. In this paper, analysis of handling and stabilities of a vehicle in plane motion is proposed. From the results, it can be stated that the response of the vehicle simulated on Tire HILS significantly gets closer to a real vehicle, as compared to simulation by off-line linear tire model.

Design of Artificial Tail Flukes for a Bottlenose Dolphin

A female bottlenose dolphin (tursiops truncatus), kept in an aquarium, Okinawa, Japan, lost most part of its tail flukes by diseases. Due to the loss of the flukes, the dolphin was not able to swim well. To regain the swimming ability, artificial tail flukes were designed. After several prototypes were tested, the latest prototype, made of silicon rubber and fiber reinforced plastics, achieved the goal. The flukes were attachable to the dolphin safely and easily. The field tests showed that the dolphin was able to swim as before with the help of the flukes.

Development of Artificial Tail Flukes for Bottlenose Dolphin

Artificial tail flukes were developed for a bottlenose dolphin that lost most part of the tail flukes due to a serious disease in October 2002. The dolphin named FUJI has been kept in Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium since 1975. A joint project was started to develop artificial flukes in 2003 to recover normal revel swimming ability. At the process of the development, finite element method analysis and towing test in water tank were carried out. The artificial flukes were composed of silicone rubber and inserted FRP reinforcement. FUJI recovered swimming speed and even jumping ability by the artificial tail flukes as she had before.