Browse Topic: Safety
ABSTRACT Over time, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has refined the 4Dimension / Real-time Control System (4D/RCS) architecture for use in Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs). This architecture, when applied to a fully autonomous vehicle designed for missions in urban environments, can greatly assist in the process of saving time and lives by creating a more intelligent vehicle that acts in a safer and more efficient manner. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI®) has undertaken the Southwest Safe Transport Initiative (SSTI) aimed at investigating the development and commercialization of vehicle autonomy as well as vehicle-based telemetry systems to improve active safety systems and autonomy. This paper will discuss the implementation of the 4D/RCS architecture to the SSTI autonomous vehicle, a 2006 Ford Explorer
ABSTRACT As part of DARPA’s Adaptive Vehicle Make (AVM) portfolio of programs, blast and ballistic survivability analysis tools were developed. The intent of these tools was to facilitate design and design optimization by making it possible for designers to perform survivability analysis from CAD and to automate the survivability analysis pipeline to allow optimization codes to invoke the survivability tools and obtain results. This paper describes some of the tools and their capabilities through highlighting five innovations utilized in the program: multi-fidelity modeling; automated meshing and welding; uncertainty quantification and 95% bounds; a large material property database and more accurate blast loads; and automating the entire computational pipeline
ABSTRACT The Army has identified an operational need for a Robotic Convoy capability for its tactical vehicle fleets. The Department of Defense (DoD), with a fleet of over several hundred thousand tactical vehicles, must identify an approach with supporting technology and supply base to procure and support a Robotic Convoy solution at the lowest possible cost. While cost is a key driver, the selected system approach must be proven and robust to ensure the safety of our soldiers and the supply chain. An effective approach is to integrate and adapt the advanced automotive technologies, components and suppliers currently delivering advanced safety technologies into the automotive market. These advanced automotive technologies merged with DoD robotics enhancements in tactical behaviors, autonomous driving, command & control and unmanned systems collaboration will advance the operational utility of robotic convoy application in manned and unmanned modes. Figure 1 Military Application The
ABSTRACT Popularity of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in the passenger car industry has seen an explosive growth in recent years. Some ADAS that are becoming ubiquitous are Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Blind Spot Detection (BSD) and automatic parking or parking assistance systems. In many cases, such systems had been developed specifically to handle the most demanding driving conditions at very high speeds, which typically require very sophisticated software and high-power hardware. However, in the other application areas or geographical regions, such sophistication often hinders adoption of the technology. An alternate approach is to use off-the-shelf (OTS) component as much as possible so that similar systems with an appropriate subset of functions can be developed cheaply and quickly. The approach similar to the NASA’s “PhoneSats” program is discussed in this paper
ABSTRACT As the Army focuses to modernize existing ground vehicle fleets and develop new ground vehicle platforms, Program Managers are faced with the challenge of how to best choose a set of technologies for the vehicle that will be mature, be able to be integrated onto the platform, and have the capability to meet defined requirements. To accomplish this, the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) Systems Engineering Group (SEG) has championed the development of a methodology for executing Technical Risk Assessments, one of the components of the overall Risk Assessment. The Technical Risk Assessment activity determines critical technologies, assesses technology maturity, integration and manufacturing readiness, and identifies the associated technical risks of those critical technologies and other technologies of interest. A standardized set of criteria is being utilized by technology subject matter experts to perform the assessments, and has been used
ABSTRACT Computational models are widely used in the prediction of occupant injury responses and vehicle structural performance of ground vehicles subjected to underbody blasts. Although these physics based computational models incorporate all the material and environment data, the classic models are typically deterministic and do not capture the potential variations in the design, testing and operating parameters. This paper investigates the effect of one such variation in physical tests, namely, variations in the position of occupant setup on the occupant injury responses. To study the effects of occupant position, a series of vertical drop tower tests were performed in a controlled setup. A vertical drop tower test involves an Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD) dummy positioned on a seat and the setup is dropped on an energy attenuating surface, thus producing a desired shock pulse on the seat structure. The experimental data was analyzed for sensitivity of occupant position and ATD
An innovative new approach is presented that addresses the challenges of design in a constantly changing environment. New solutions that satisfy changing requirements are generated by rapidly reconfiguring ongoing projects and effectively reusing trusted designs. Design is essentially a process of generating knowledge about how to build new systems. Reuse is difficult because this knowledge is amorphous and difficult to access. Hierarchical platform-based engineering is used to structure and categorize this knowledge to make it easily accessible. This approach has three essential components: 1) Hierarchical platform-based design method organizes design projects into a structured library; 2) Transformational systems engineering and concurrent risk assessment are used to capture complex interactions between different CPS elements. These captured interactions help assess reusability and reconfigurability of each element; 3) A new design flow integrates platform-based design methods into
ABSTRACT The Blast Event Simulations sysTem (BEST) is a synthesis tool that provides a seamless and easy-to-use coupling between existing and commercially available LS-DYNA solvers and Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD) models for a complete sequence of explosive simulations. BEST driven simulations capture the soil/explosive/vehicle/occupant interaction. In this paper a blast simulation analysis conducted by BEST for a generic but representative vehicle is presented. The vehicle is subjected to the blast load created by an explosive buried underneath the vehicle. An ATD model is placed inside the vehicle in order to capture the loads created on the lower legs of an occupant due to the explosion. Technical details with respect to the various models engaged in the simulation are presented first. The results and the physical insight which can be gained by the analysis are discussed. A series of design modifications which add minimal weight are introduced in the vehicle structure, such as
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 What does “exposure to risk” mean? How can acquisition programs get early warning of risk exposure? How is risk exposure related to the root causes and causal mechanisms of adverse program outcomes? How does risk early warning inform risk management? How is risk exposure related to the tradeoffs made between risk versus potential rewards? What technical and management contract data reporting requirements provide evidence of risk exposure, and how can risk leading indicators be computed? How can standard technical and management contract data reporting requirements be used to improve visibility into risk exposure? How can the magnitude of risk exposure be estimated? How does risk early warning complement traditional technical, cost and schedule risk assessment? How do risk early warning methods relate to typical proposal requirements and evaluation criteria? How are risk leading indicators related to system development leading indicators? How can risk early warning methods be
ABSTRACT A functionally-graded NPR (Negative Poisson’s Ratio) material concept has been developed for a critical Army application – blast protection. The objective is to develop a combined computational design methodology and innovative structural-material concept for a blast-protective deflector, which can concentrate material into areas most needed and adapt its shape utilizing the blast energy to improve blast mitigation and crew protection. Included in the computational design methodology is optimal deflector shape design and optimal NPR material distribution to further improve the protection while minimizing the C.G. height of the vehicle and the weight of the deflector. Structures fabricated using this new concept react to the explosion and reconfigure themselves under the blast force to provide maximum blast protection. The presented research work consists of two basic approaches to deflector design: optimal deflector shape design and optimal NPR material configuration and
ABSTRACT Raytheon is in the final stages of production of three high performance thermal imaging / fire control systems being integrated on existing USMC and US Army armored vehicles. A goal in the design of these systems was to provide integration into the host vehicle that when viewed by the customer and user provided the enhanced capabilities of today’s latest thermal imaging and image processing technology as well as operating in concert with the vehicle as originally designed. This paper will summarize the technical solutions for each of these programs emphasizing the thermal imaging, fire control, image processing and vehicle integration technologies. It will also outline guiding philosophies and lessons learned used to focus the design team in achieving the successful integration. The programs to be reviewed are; USMC 2nd Gen Thermal Imaging System, the USMC LAV-25 Improved Thermal Sight System (ITSS) and the USMC / US Army M1A1 50 Cal Thermal Sight / DayTV System
ABSTRACT Over time, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has refined the 4Dimension / Real-time Control System (4D/RCS) architecture for use in Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs). This architecture, when applied to a fully autonomous vehicle designed for missions in urban environments, can greatly assist in the process of saving time and lives by creating a more intelligent vehicle that acts in a safer and more efficient manner. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI®) has undertaken the Southwest Safe Transport Initiative (SSTI) aimed at investigating the development and commercialization of vehicle autonomy as well as vehicle-based telemetry systems to improve active safety systems and autonomy. This paper will discuss the implementation of the 4D/RCS architecture to the SSTI autonomous vehicle, a 2006 Ford Explorer
This SAE Recommended Practice describes the test procedures for conducting free-motion headform testing of heavy truck cab interior surfaces and components. A description of the test setup, instrumentation, impact configuration, target locations, and data reduction is included
Road safety remains a critical concern globally, with millions of lives lost annually due to road accidents. In India alone, the year 2021 witnessed over 4,12,432 road accidents resulting in 1,53,972 fatalities and 3,84,448 injuries. The age group most affected by these accidents is 18-45 years, constituting approximately 67% of total deaths. Factors such as speeding, distracted driving, and neglect to use safety gear increases the severity of these incidents. This paper presents a novel approach to address these challenges by introducing a driver safety system aimed at promoting good driving etiquette and mitigating distractions and fatigue. Leveraging Raspberry Pi and computer vision techniques, the system monitors driver behavior in real-time, including head position, eye blinks, mouth opening and closing, hand position, and internal audio levels to detect signs of distraction and drowsiness. The system operates in both passive and active modes, providing alerts and alarms to the
Letter from the Focus Issue Editors
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