Browse Topic: People and personalities
The automotive industry is facing unprecedented pressure to reduce costs without compromising on quality and performance, particularly in the design and manufacturing. This paper provides a technical review of the multifaceted challenges involved in achieving cost efficiency while maintaining financial viability, functional integrity, and market competitiveness. Financial viability stands as a primary obstacle in cost reduction projects. The demand for innovative products needs to be balanced with the need for affordable materials while maintaining structural integrity. Suppliers’ cost structures, raw material fluctuations, and production volumes must be considered on the way to obtain optimal costs. Functional aspects lead to another layer of complexity, once changes in design or materials should not compromise safety, durability, or performance. Rigorous testing and simulation tools are indispensable to validate changes in the manufacturing process. Marketing considerations are also
Recent advancements in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and the broader advanced air mobility (AAM) movement have generated significant interest within and beyond the traditional aviation industry. Many new applications have been identified and are under development, with considerable potential for market growth and exciting potential. However, talent resources are the most critical parameters to make or break the AAM vision, and significantly more talent is needed than the traditional aviation industry is able to currently generate. One possible solution—leverage rapid advancements of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and the gaming industry to help attract, identify, educate, and encourage current and future generations to engage in various aspects of the AAM industry. Beyond Aviation: Embedded Gaming, Artificial Intelligence, Training, and Recruitment for the Advanced Air Mobility Industry discusses how the modern gaming population of 3.3 million
2023–2024 Reviewers
The fusion of virtualized base software with simulation technologies has transformed the methods used for development and system testing. This paper examines the architecture, implementation, and advantages of employing virtualization to improve simulation environments. Virtualized base software enables the creation of isolated, scalable, and replicable settings, essential for executing complex simulations that replicate real-world situations. Utilizing virtualization enhances simulations by making them more efficient, flexible, and cost-effective. The study covers the essential elements of virtualized simulation platforms, such as containerization, network abstraction and virtual drivers. It also analyzes how these components collaborate to create a strong framework for simulating diverse applications, ranging from software testing to hardware emulation. This approach offers several benefits, including better resource utilization, quicker deployment times, and the flexibility to
To establish and validate new systems incorporated into next generation vehicles, it is important to understand actual scenarios which the autonomous vehicles will likely encounter. Consequently, to do this, it is important to run Field Operational Tests (FOT). FOT is undertaken with many vehicles and large acquisition areas ensuing the capability and suitability of a continuous function, thus guaranteeing the randomization of test conditions. FOT and Use case(a software testing technique designed to ensure that the system under test meets and exceeds the stakeholders' expectations) scenario recordings capture is very expensive, due to the amount of necessary material (vehicles, measurement equipment/objectives, headcount, data storage capacity/complexity, trained drivers/professionals) and all-time robust working vehicle setup is not always available, moreover mileage is directly proportional to time, along with that it cannot be scaled up due to physical limitations. During the early
In India, Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning (DDAW) system-based technologies are rising due to anticipation on mandatory regulation for DDAW. However, readiness of the system to introduce to Indian market requires validations to meet standard (Automotive Industry Standard 184) for the system are complex and sometimes subjective in nature. Furthermore, the evaluation procedure to map the system accuracy with the Karolinska sleepiness scale (KSS) requirement involves manual interpretation which can lead to false reading. In certain scenarios, KSS validation may entail to fatal risks also. Currently, there is no effective mechanism so far available to compare the performance of different DDAW systems which are coming up in Indian market. This lack of comparative investigation channel can be a concerning factor for the automotive manufactures as well as for the end-customers. In this paper, a robust validation setup using motion drive simulator with 3 degree of freedom (DOF) is
Researchers at Caltech took an important step toward using reinforcement learning to adaptively learn how turbulent wind can change over time, and then uses that knowledge to control a UAV based on what it is experiencing in real time. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA In nature, flying animals sense coming changes in their surroundings, including the onset of sudden turbulence, and quickly adjust to stay safe. Engineers who design aircraft would like to give their vehicles the same ability to predict incoming disturbances and respond appropriately. Indeed, disasters such as the fatal Singapore Airlines flight this past May in which more than 100 passengers were injured after the plane encountered severe turbulence, could be avoided if aircraft had such automatic sensing and prediction capabilities combined with mechanisms to stabilize the vehicle. Now a team of researchers from Caltech's Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies (CAST) and NVIDIA has taken an
The future of wireless technology - from charging devices to boosting communication signals - relies on the antennas that transmit electromagnetic waves becoming increasingly versatile, durable and easy to manufacture. Researchers at Drexel University and the University of British Columbia believe kirigami, the ancient Japanese art of cutting and folding paper to create intricate three-dimensional designs, could provide a model for manufacturing the next generation of antennas. Recently published in the journal Nature Communications, research from the Drexel-UBC team showed how kirigami - a variation of origami - can transform a single sheet of acetate coated with conductive MXene ink into a flexible 3D microwave antenna whose transmission frequency can be adjusted simply by pulling or squeezing to slightly shift its shape
A new aviation supply chain integrity coalition has offered 13 recommended actions to prevent the circulation of non-serialized aircraft parts throughout the global aviation industry. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL In the summer of 2023, a receiving clerk in the procurement department of TAP Air Portugal, a Lisbon-based airline, made a curious discovery: A $65 engine part that should have appeared brand-new showed signs of significant wear. The clerk checked the documentation from the London-based parts supplier and noticed that the submitted documentation was also suspicious. Using his safety training, the employee immediately reported the anomaly to TAP Air Portugal management, which raised the issue with the jet engine's manufacturer. Little did the procurement clerk know at the time, but this escalation led to one of the biggest investigations in the history of the aviation supply chain, as reported by Reuters and the British Broadcasting Corporation in
A research team led by Rice University’s Edward Knightly has uncovered an eavesdropping security vulnerability in high-frequency and high-speed wireless backhaul links, widely employed in critical applications such as 5G wireless cell phone signals and low-latency financial trading on Wall Street
A Coventry University design and materials engineer is leading an international team of researchers in the creation of a new material for liquid hydrogen storage tanks that are used to propel rockets into space. Coventry University, Coventry, UK The future of space travel is seemingly changing by the day and a Coventry University academic is doing his bit to stay at the front of the space race. Dr. Ashwath Pazhani along with an international team of researchers have created a new material for storing the liquid hydrogen used to propel rockets into space by the likes of NASA
For all the engineering that takes place at the Treadwell Research Park (TRP), Discount Tire's chief product and technical officer John Baldwin told SAE Media that there's actually something akin to magic in the way giga-reams of test data are converted into information non-engineers can usefully understand. TRP is where Discount Tire generates data used by the algorithms behind its Treadwell tire shopping guide. The consumer-facing Treadwell tool, available in an app, a website and in stores, provides tire shoppers with personalized, simple-to-understand recommendations that are mostly based on a five-star scale. Discount Tire and its partners have tested over 20,000 SKUs, representing 500 to 1000 different types of tires over the years, Baldwin said, including variants and updates. Testing a tire to discover it has an 8.2 rolling resistance coefficient is one thing. The trick is finding a way to explain it to someone standing in a tire shop
Liebherr and Fortescue unveiled their first autonomous battery-electric T 264 haul truck at MINExpo 2024, garnering a steady stream of attendees eyeing and climbing on the giant machine. The truck is the culmination of nearly three years of development work and collaboration among the autonomy and zero-emission units of Liebherr and Fortescue. The T 264 electric hauler features a 3.2-MWh battery system, comprising eight sub-packs, developed by Fortescue Zero. Fortescue also developed a stationary fast-charging solution to support the new T 264. The charger will be available in both manual and robotic versions. An automated quick charger of up to 6 MW with two megawatt charging system (MCS) plugs can reportedly charge the current battery-electric T 264 in 30 minutes
Komatsu introduced its first battery-electric load-haul-dump (LHD) machine, the WX04B, at the MINExpo tradeshow in September. The WX04B is designed specifically for narrow vein mines in underground hard rock mining operations. Komatsu is pairing the electric LHD with its new OEM-agnostic 150-kW battery charger that was also revealed in Las Vegas. The 4-tonne WX04B LHD features what Komatsu claims is best-in-class energy density, offering up to four hours of runtime on a single charge. The Li-ion NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) battery from Proterra has a capacity of 165 kWh and nominal voltage of 660 V. Fewer charge cycles are needed compared to competitors, the company claims, which helps to maximize operational efficiency and minimize downtime. Proterra and Komatsu began their collaboration on the LHD's H Series battery system in 2021, long before Komatsu's acquisition of American Battery Solutions (ABS) in December 2023
Sometimes, I cringe; sometimes, I just listen and wonder. These past few months have given us all a lot to think about in the automotive space, and it's clear now that the coming years will keep the foot down on the accelerator when it comes to the dramatic changes we've experienced this past decade. One thing that stood out to me in various recent conversations is that there's a widening gulf opening between Chinese automakers and the rest of the world. This isn't exactly news, and this column isn't meant to monger any fears. It's just a bit of off-the-cuff reporting that sheds a bit of light on the level of the challenges we face. As you can read in Chris Clonts' excellent report further in this issue about the warning that Voltaiq's CEO gave at The Battery Show this October, the U.S. is in serious danger of falling well behind Chinese competitors in the EV battery race (Michael Robinette tackles similar ground through a tariff lens in this month's Supplier Eye). But that message was
North American automakers and EV battery firms have five years to erase China's dominance in technology and manufacturing or they may face the reality of buying batteries from China for the foreseeable future. That was the message from battery-analysis company Voltaiq CEO Tal Sholklapper at a media briefing in Detroit. “We're in the final innings now,” Sholklapper said. “If the industry around batteries and electric vehicles and all the follow-on applications wants to make it, we're going to have to change the way we play
“This might be our most forward-looking team occupying the building that was the impetus for our future-looking focus in the very beginning,” Jennifer Kolstad, Ford Motor Company's Global Design and Brand Director, told SAE Media inside the 100-year-old Ford Engineering Lab's library. The two-story Dearborn, Michigan building, which spans two city blocks, is now the renovated and modernized workspace for Electrified Propulsion Engineering Team innovators. “They're in-space before the research and development hub opens across the street,” Kolstad said
ABSTRACT This paper presents the conceptual design, development, and implementation of the Robotic Technology Kernel (RTK) in a Polaris GEM e2 by the United States Military Academy's autonomy research team. RTK is the autonomous software suite of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicles Systems Center and to this point has primarily been used within off-road environments. The research team's primary objectives were to verify RTK's platform-agnostic characteristic by implementing the control software on a small, low-speed electric vehicle and augmenting the software to provide the additional capability of operating within an established infrastructure rule set. Citation: J. Cymerman, S. Yim, D. Larkin, K. Pegues, W. Gengler, S. Norman, Z. Maxwell, N. Gasparri, M. Pollin, C. Calderon, J. Angle, J. Collier, “Evolving the Robotic Technology Kernal to Expand Future Force Autonomous Ground Vehicle Capabilities,” In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems
ABSTRACT Systems Engineering (SE) would always benefit from the inclusion of the Six-Sigma perspective in both the planning and execution of project systems. This applies to not only System Engineers but also to Systems Extended Team Members, all who must provide cumulated knowledge along with competency to the project. It is difficult to obtain a high level of competency among single members of the team to be highly successful. Strength in one area is very often an underlying factor of weakness in another area. Determining and integrating sigma characteristics from the development cycle into all remaining phases of the product project, especially at critical component interfaces, with a resultant sigma value given to those connections that develop a sigma-risk factor for each function and process pathway within the operational configuration. This sigma-risk factor concept is the key in uniting knowledge with experience
Abstract The Integrated Systems Engineering Framework (ISEF) is an RDECOM solution to capture, leverage, and preserve/reuse Systems Engineering (SE) knowledge generated throughout a system’s lifecycle. The framework is a system of tools designed to support decision making with confidence through embedded SE process management, high quality data visualizations, and system lifecycle information traceability. A web based tool architecture supports near zero IT footprint and allows real time collaboration between team members. The Combat Vehicle Prototype program is a large S&T effort within the Army community to create a virtual demonstrator to influence the next Future Fighting Vehicle program of record. The program is made up of “leap-ahead” technology development efforts pursuing TRL 6 demonstrations. These technologies are being coordinated with the CVP central program office to ensure an effective system level concept is transitioned at the end of the program. This paper will begin
ABSTRACT In development of next generation products, 80% or more of the downstream costs associated are committed during design phase. If we could predict, with reasonable confidence, the long-term impact of design decisions, it would open opportunities to develop better designs that result in tremendous future cost savings, often with no compromise in key performance objectives. Systems engineering is, by its nature, multi-disciplinary. The aim of Integrated Product and Process Development is to bring these disciplines together in order to assess various downstream implications of early design decisions, creating better designs, avoiding dead-end designs that are costly in terms of design cycle-time, and realizing designs that are manufacturable while achieving the performance objectives. The goal is to build a downstream value analysis tool that links all the conceptual design activities. This capability allows a designer to realize the long-range impacts of key up-front design
Abstract Converting vehicles from conventional manned operations to unmanned supervised operations has been slow to adoption in many industries due to cost, complexity (requiring more highly skilled personnel) and perceived lower productivity. Indeed, hazardous operations (military, nuclear cleanup, etc.) have seen the most significant implementations of robotics based solely on personnel safety. Starting in 2005, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has assumed a leading role in promoting the use of robotics in unexploded ordnance (UXO) range remediation. Although personnel safety is the primary component of the USACE mission, increasing productivity while reducing overall cost is an extremely important driver behind their program. To achieve this goal demands that robotic range clearance equipment be affordable, easy to install on rental equipment, durable and reliable (to minimize down-time), low or no maintenance, and easy to learn / operate by the same individuals who would
ABSTRACT This paper will discuss how proven automotive systems engineering lightweighting principles and practices are being adapted and applied to combat and tactical ground vehicle systems. An automotive lightweighting methodology has most recently been utilized to reduce the weight of a light-duty pickup truck by 511 kilograms resulting in a 20.8% vehicle mass reduction. A holistic approach to light-weighting offers great benefits with additional mass reduction at a cost savings, reducing the overall vehicle lightweighting cost impact. Automotive studies have shown additional vehicle mass-reductions in the range of 3-5% are achievable when vehicles are aggressively light-weighted (i.e., approximate 20% vehicle mass reduction range). Although many factors like customer usage, function and performance requirements, production volumes, product life cycles, value stream, manufacturing infrastructure, litigation application, etc., are indeed considerably different between automotive and
ABSTRACT The Advanced Systems Engineering Capability (ASEC) developed by TARDEC Systems Engineering & Integration (SE&I) group is an integrated Systems Engineering (SE) knowledge creation and capture framework built on a decision centric method, high quality data visualizations, intuitive navigation and systems information management that enable continuous data traceability, real time collaboration and knowledge pattern leverage to support the entire system lifecycle. The ASEC framework has evolved significantly over the past year. New tools have been added for capturing lessons learned from warfighter experiences in theater and for analyzing and validating the needs of ground domains platforms/systems. These stakeholder needs analysis tools may be used to refine the ground domain capability model (functional decomposition) and to help identify opportunities for common solutions across platforms. On-going development of ASEC will migrate all tools to a single virtual desktop to promote
ABSTRACT U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) has been managing and developing a variety of autonomous systems throughout its existence. Two of the most important from the past decade include the Autonomous Mobility Appliqué System (AMAS) developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMC) and the Robotic Technology Kernel (RTK) developed by GVSC in collaboration with DCS Corp and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). Rather than continuing to develop and maintain two separate autonomous software systems, GVSC has decided to integrate any capabilities that were unique to AMAS into RTK and devote efforts to developing RTK going forward. The goal of integrating AMAS into RTK is to leverage the best features of each system. The process of this integration involves multiple steps. This paper describes the historical and current efforts involved in the integration of AMAS into RTK. Citation: D. Pirozzo, J.P. Hecker, A. Dickinson, T
ABSTRACT Program Executive Office (PEO) Ground Combat Systems (GCS) initiated a Green Belt project in 2007 to develop a risk management process. The Integrated Product Team (IPT) built on Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and Department of Defense (DoD) risk management guidance to create a process for risk analysis, mitigation, and rules for Risk Review Board approval. To automate this process, the IPT eventually created an Army owned, customizable tool (Risk Recon) that matched the PEO GCS process. Risk Recon is used to track risks throughout the acquisition life-cycle. Changing the culture of the PEO has been the most significant challenge. Training and follow-up of risk progress is required to keep the process from becoming stagnant. Partnership with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs)s is an integral part of all programs and a balance is needed between how the PEO and its OEMs perform risk management and communicate those risks. The software requirements continue to
ABSTRACT The U.S. military has made substantial progress in developing and fielding C4ISR systems that can collect and gather overwhelming amounts of valuable raw sensor data. A new challenge that has emerged with the deployment of numerous state-of-the-art ISR collection systems is the effective and timely use of the collected surveillance and reconnaissance information, or simply stated an architecture that pushes the timeliness and accessibility of this situational awareness data to the tactical edge – “the right data at the right time to the soldier.” Delivery of real time key information to include situational awareness to a decision maker is what makes the difference between loss and victory on the battlefront. This paper is an extension of a GVSETS paper that was presented in the 2010 symposium. This paper discusses in more detail the integration of command and control (C2), video management, and collaboration capabilities, such as chat and telestration, with the sensor
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