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Browse AllIn vehicle development, occupant-centered design is crucial to ensuring customer satisfaction. Key factors such as visibility, access, interior roominess, driver ergonomics, interior storage and trunk space directly impact the daily experience of vehicle occupants. While automakers rely on engineering metrics to guide architectural decisions, however in some cases doesn’t exist a clear correlation between these quantitative parameters and the subjective satisfaction of end users. This study develops a methodology which addresses that gap by proposing the creation of quantitative satisfaction curves for critical engineering metrics, providing a robust tool to support decision-making during the early stages of vehicle design. Through a combination of clinics, research, and statistical analysis, this project outlines a step-by-step process for developing (dis)satisfaction curves, offering a clearer understanding of how dimensions like headroom, glove box volume, and A-pillar obscuration
Agrícola Cana Caiana and Grunner have developed an innovative vehicle for sugarcane harvesting, focused on reducing fuel consumption. This optimization is vital and relevant for similar operations in the largest global producers: Brazil (724 mi t - 37%), India (439 mi t - 22%), China (103 mi t - 5.3%), Thailand (92 mi t - 4.7%), Pakistan (88 mi t - 4.5%), Mexico (55 mi t - 2.8%), Colombia (35 mi t - 1.8%), Indonesia (32 mi t - 1.6%), USA (31 mi t - 1.6%), and Australia (28 mi t - 1.4%). In Brazil, São Paulo leads with 383.4 mi t (54.1% of the 23/24 harvest), followed by Minas Gerais (81.3 mi t). This innovative agricultural machinery, a result of the owners' experience, has already sold over a thousand units, proving its impact on the efficiency of the sugar-alcohol sector. The Belei family's expertise generated this solution that optimizes resources and increases harvesting productivity, with the potential to advance sustainability and profitability globally, driving agricultural
Since the emergence of the first tanks in World War I, tracked military vehicles have driven the development of increasingly sophisticated control systems, keeping pace with the evolution of technologies and combat tactics. This study aims to develop a longitudinal speed control system for tracked military vehicles using a cascade framework. To this end, a dynamic model based on the bicycle model—commonly employed for wheeled vehicles—has been appropriately adapted to represent the dynamics of tracked vehicles. In the first stage, a Model-based Predictive Controller defines the required traction force to be produced by the track; subsequently, a PID controller determines the necessary torque on the drive pulley to achieve the desired force. Simulations performed in MATLAB, considering a straight trajectory and speeds of up to 20 km/h, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control system, yielding satisfactory results in the regulation of longitudinal speed.