Browse Topic: Mobility

Items (1,447)
This study delves into the dynamics of three-wheeled Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMVs) equipped with an active tilting mechanism. In three-wheeled vehicles with a single front wheel, the risk of tipping over during sudden braking and sharp turning is often highlighted. To address this issue, the authors have focused their research on three-wheeled PMVs with two front wheels and one rear wheel, equipped with an active tilting mechanism. Previous studies using dynamic simulation tools have demonstrated that such PMVs possess higher obstacle avoidance capabilities compared to motorcycles and even passenger cars. However, these simulations were based on the assumption of avoidance maneuvers without braking, and no studies have yet examined the behavior of three-wheeled PMVs with an active tilting mechanism under the more complex conditions of braking during turning. Therefore, prior to conducting dynamic simulations under braking and turning conditions, this study aims to clarify the
Haraguchi, TetsunoriKaneko, Tetsuya
This article presents a new generation of electric motors developed for light mobility and industrial applications. The motor range is based on synchronous reluctance technology using non-rare-earth permanent magnets. Three continuous power levels have been developed: 2, 4 and 6 kW. The challenges related to that motor range is their high continuous performances (cooled by natural convection) under nominal 48V, and reparability easiness without adding complexity. These motors stand out thanks to their competitive manufacturing cost and peak efficiency above 94%, which is a remarkable performance for this power and torque class. A prototype of a 6 kW continuous power has been produced and benchmarked. The experimental test showed a high level of correlation with the simulation calculation.
CISSE, Koua MalickMilosavljevic, MisaMallard, VincentValin, ThomasDe Paola, Gaetano
The reduction of the CO2 footprint of transport vehicles is a major challenge to minimize the harmful impact of technology on the environment. Beside passenger cars and light and heavy-duty vehicles, this affects also the two-wheeler category and the non-road mobile machinery (NRMM). One promising path for the de-carbonization is the transition from fossil-fuel powered ICE powertrains to electric powertrains. Several examples of electrified powertrains showcase possibilities for small hand-held power-tools or small mopeds and scooters. As the powertrain categories two-wheeler and NRMM are very diversified and consist of various sub-categories and sub-classes with many different applications, the feasibility of electrification for the whole category cannot be judged by few examples. In this publication, a methodology for assessing the electrification potential of hand-held power tools and two-wheelers is shown. The method uses 4 different factors, which determine the feasibility for
Schmidt, StephanSchacht, Hans-JuergenWeller, KonstantinAbsenger, Johann Friedrich
A battery bicycle with luggage space is designed and developed to have variable luggage space available to the rider. The developed design with bicycle frame has an innovative sideway moving frame for variable need-based space. The design was prepared for an e-commerce delivery application, suppling products through an easy, quick, and low-cost mode of transport with variable spacing options. The design was prepared for 160 kg weight, with 210 cm, 90 cm, and 35 cm as length height and width, respectively. The designed bicycle can carry luggage up to 100 kg. The design is powered by a 250-watt electric motor and can move with a maximum speed of 24 km/hr. The steering mechanism, cargo bucket, and the base frame are made in two parts for commuter convenience. The cargo bucket is front-mounted, on a sliding frame that enables one half of the bucket to be slid into the other half through sideways movement by fitted channels. The design has both electric and non-electric driving modes. The
Vashist, DevendraSatti, HarshAwasthi, A.KMUKHERJEE, SOURAV
Michigan Technological University (MTU) responded to and was awarded Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Number: W56JSR-18-S-0001 through the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO). The delivered performance enhanced HMMWV offers increased mobility with over 50% increase in acceleration, improving maneuverability and significant operational range with extended mission duration. Additionally, with on-board energy storage, the vehicle provides extended silent watch and silent mobility capabilities enabling low acoustic and thermal signatures, along with on-board and export vehicle power enabling the powering of mission systems. This paper details the characteristics and performance of an HMMWV with a hybridized powertrain that was designed to meet and demonstrate these benefits.
Worm, ZanderKiefer, DylanSchmidt, HenryPutrus, JohnathonRizzo, DeniseSubert, DaveDice, PaulNaber, Jeffrey D.
The search for alternative solutions for vehicle electrification, while reducing the carbon footprint during the transition to green mobility, leads to the investigation of electro-fuels (e-fuels) in conventional internal combustion engines. Leveraging previous research, the present study focuses on the optimisation of a Compression Ignition (CI) engine combustion control in response to the use of the Oxymethylene Dimethyl Ethers (OMEx) blended with conventional diesel. The selected e-fuel is the OME3, which is expected to be used as a drop-in solution and to easily achieve a reduction in soot emissions due to both its high oxygen content and lack of direct carbon bonds in its molecular structure. To verify its potential, a 1D single-cylinder CI multi-zone engine model has been exploited to simulate various diesel/OME3 blends in a wide engine operating range. The first step deals with the evaluation of performance and emissions to demonstrate the differences, particularly in terms of
Foglia, AntonioCervone, DavideFrasci, EmmanueleArsie, IvanPolverino, PierpaoloPianese, Cesare
Launched in 2022, AeroSolfd, a HORIZON Europe project, aims to advance clean urban mobility by developing affordable and sustainable retrofit solutions for gasoline vehicles. This three-year initiative addresses not only tailpipe emissions but also brake emissions and pollution in semi-enclosed environments. Within AeroSolfd, the Swiss-based VERT association focuses on reducing tailpipe emissions using state-of-the-art Gasoline Particulate Filter (GPF) technology featuring an uncoated ceramic multicell wall-flow filter. VERT, in partnership with HJS, CPK, BFH, developed and tested a GPF-retrofit system at Technology Readiness Level 8 (TRL 8). Results demonstrate over 99% filtration efficiency for particles smaller than 500 nm on standard cycles (WLTC) and real-world driving cycles (RDE). Forty-two gasoline vehicles (GDI and PFI) were retrofitted with the GPF retrofit across Germany, Switzerland, Israel, and Denmark over a 6 to 8-month operational period. No issues were observed with
Rubino, LaurettaMayer, Andreas C.Lutz, Thomas W.Czerwinski, JanLarsen, Lars C.
This standard is intended for use by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), regulators, operators, training organizations, and any others who wish to develop curricula for pilot, instructor, and evaluator training courses for new aircraft - VCA. Continuous updates to this standard will be necessary to incorporate advancements in VTOL technologies and training methods. This standard describes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to safely operate VCA for commercial purposes. A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) may, at their discretion, use this standard to aid the development of existing or future regulations. OEMs and operators may use this standard to develop a curriculum for acceptance or approval by civil regulators. This standard includes a Pilot Training Program developed to address the theoretical and practical training and assessment for VTOL-capable pilot licensing/certification. Additionally, this standard contains the requirements for pilot training and licensing for
G-35A Pilot Training and Certification Committee
The U-Shift IV represents the latest evolution in modular urban mobility solutions, offering significant advancements over its predecessors. This innovative vehicle concept introduces a distinct separation between the drive module, known as the driveboard, and the transport capsules. The driveboard contains all the necessary components for autonomous driving, allowing it to operate independently. This separation not only enables versatile applications - such as easily swapping capsules for passenger or goods transportation - but also significantly improves the utilization of the driveboard. By allowing a single driveboard to be paired with different capsules, operational efficiency is maximized, enabling continuous deployment of driveboards while the individual capsules are in use. The primary focus of U-Shift IV was to obtain a permit for operating at the Federal Garden Show 2023. To achieve this goal, we built the vehicle around the specific requirements for semi-public road
Pohl, EricScheibe, SebastianMünster, MarcoOsebek, ManuelKopp, GerhardSiefkes, Tjark
The road network is a critical component of modern urban mobility systems, with signalized traffic intersections playing a pivotal role. Traditionally, traffic light phase timings and durations at intersections are designed by transportation engineers using historical traffic data. Some modern intersections employ trigger-based mechanisms to improve traffic flow; however, these systems often lack global awareness of traffic conditions across multiple intersections within a network. With the increasing availability of traffic data and advancements in machine learning, traffic light systems can be enhanced by modeling them as agents operating in an environment. This paper proposes a Reinforcement Learning (RL) based approach for multi-agent traffic light systems within a simulation environment. The simulation is calibrated using real-world traffic data, enabling RL agents to learn effective control strategies based on realistic scenarios. A key advantage of using a calibrated simulation
Kalra, VikhyatTulpule, PunitGiuliani, Pio Michele
With many stakeholders involved, and major investments supporting it, the advancements in automated driving (AD) are undoubtedly there. Generally speaking, the motivation for advancing AD is driver convenience and road safety. Regarding the development of AD, original equipment manufacturers, technology start-ups, and AD systems developers have taken different approaches for automated vehicles (AVs). Some manufacturers are on the path toward stand-alone vehicles, mostly relying on onboard sensors and intelligence. On the other hand, the connected, cooperative, and automated mobility (CCAM) approach relies on additional communication and information exchange to ensure safe and secure operation. CCAM holds great potential to improve traffic management, road safety, equity, and convenience. In both approaches, there are increasingly large amounts of data generated and used for AD functions in perception, situational awareness, path prediction, and decision-making. The use of artificial
Van Schijndel-de Nooij, MargrietBeiker, Sven
Letter from the Guest Editors
Liang, CiTörngren, Martin
Phillips, PaulSlattery, KevinCoyne, JenniferHayes, Michael
Qian, YupingZhang, YangjunZHUGE, WEILINDoo, Johnny
The main drivers for powertrain electrification of two-wheelers, motorcycles and ATVs are increasingly stringent emission and noise limitations as well as the upcoming demand for carbon neutrality. Two-wheeler applications face significantly different constraints, such as packaging and mass targets, limited charging infrastructure in urban areas and demanding cost targets. Battery electric two wheelers are the optimal choice for transient city driving with limited range requirements. Hybridization provides considerable advantages and extended operation limits. Beside efficiency improvement, silent and zero emission modes with solutions allowing fully electric driving, combined boosting enhances performance and transient response. In general, there are two different two-wheeler base categories for hybrid powertrains: motorcycles featuring frame-integrated internal combustion engine (ICE) and transmission units, coupled with secondary drives via chain or belt; and scooters equipped with
Schoeffmann, W.Fuckar, G.Hubmann, C.Gruber, M.
The power assist system of an electric bicycle uses a magnetostrictive torque sensor to detect the pedal force based on the magnetic properties of the crankshaft, which change according to stress. Fe–Ni alloy plating is used to coat the surface of the crankshaft with a magnetic film to enhance the magnetostrictive effect. However, the sensor performance decreases as the plating solution degrades, which necessitates replacement of the plating solution. In this study, experiments were performed to investigate how to prevent or mitigate degradation of the plating solution to reduce waste. The amounts of carbon and sulfur in the magnetic film were found to increase with degradation of the plating solution. The carbon derived from organic reducing agents and their decomposition products, and the sulfur derived from stress relievers and their decomposition products. A method was developed for reducing the amounts of carbon and sulfur in the magnetic film, which would help maintain the sensor
Ohnishi, Hiromichi
Modern military operations prove that increased terrain mobility is critical for heavy tracked vehicles’ (HTVs) survivability and lethality. HTV major system packaging as a component of preliminary design with many physical constraints and assumptions poses great challenges for mobility. This paper develops an approach and a method that accounts for such constraints/assumptions and optimizes the packaging of the HTV system assembly, including vehicle armor, armament and munition, powertrain, and fuel tanks. The optimization purpose is to accommodate the center of gravity for improving ground pressure distribution and then reducing the sinkage. This work is based on a literature review and combines numerous techniques rooted in Western literature and Eastern Soviet- and post-Soviet-era literature. The optimization process is developed using a genetic algorithm. The Mean Relative Design (MRD) parameter is proposed to study the average system rearrangement (i.e., re-packing) that is
Vardi, HaggayVantsevich, VladimirGorsich, David
Reducing vehicle numbers and enhancing public transport can significantly cut emissions in the transport sector. Hydrogen-fueled and battery electric buses show the potential for decarbonization, but a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is essential to evaluate carbon emissions from energy production and manufacturing. In addition, even associated pollutant emissions, together with components’ wear, must be taken into account to evaluate the overall environmental impact. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis complements this by assessing long-term expenses, enabling stakeholders to balance environmental and economic considerations. This study examines carbon and pollutant emissions alongside TCO for innovative urban mobility powertrains (compared with diesel), focusing on Italian current and future hydrogen and electricity mix scenarios, even considering 100 % green hydrogen (100GH), the goal being to support sustainable decision-making and to promote eco-friendly transport solutions. The
Brancaleoni, Pier PaoloDamiani Ferretti, Andrea NicolòCorti, EnricoRavaglioli, VittorioMoro, Davide
Bicycle computers record and store kinematic and physiologic data that can be useful for forensic investigations of crashes. The utility of speed data from bicycle computers depends on the accurate synchronization of the speed data with either the recorded time or position, and the accuracy of the reported speed. The primary goals of this study were to quantify the temporal asynchrony and the error amplitudes in speed measurements recorded by a common bicycle computer over a wide area and over a long period. We acquired 96 hours of data at 1-second intervals simultaneously from three Garmin Edge 530 computers mounted to the same bicycle during road cycling in rural and urban environments. Each computer recorded speed data using a different method: two units were paired to two different external speed sensors and a third unit was not paired to any remote sensors and calculated its speed based on GPS data. We synchronized the units based on the speed signals and used one of the paired
Booth, Gabrielle R.Siegmund, Gunter P.
With the growing diversification of modern urban transportation options, such as delivery robots, patrol robots, service robots, E-bikes, and E-scooters, sidewalks have gained newfound importance as critical features of High-Definition (HD) Maps. Since these emerging modes of transportation are designed to operate on sidewalks to ensure public safety, there is an urgent need for efficient and optimal sidewalk routing plans for autonomous driving systems. This paper proposed a sidewalk route planning method using a cost-based A* algorithm and a mini-max-based objective function for optimal routes. The proposed cost-based A* route planning algorithm can generate different routes based on the costs of different terrains (sidewalks and crosswalks), and the objective function can produce an efficient route for different routing scenarios or preferences while considering both travelling distance and safety levels. This paper’s work is meant to fill the gap in efficient route planning for
Bao, ZhibinLang, HaoxiangLin, Xianke
It is becoming increasingly common for bicyclists to record their rides using specialized bicycle computers and watches, the majority of which save the data they collect using the Flexible and Interoperable Data Transfer (.fit) Protocol. The contents of .fit files are stored in binary and thus not readily accessible to users, so the purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the differences induced by several common methods of analyzing .fit files. We used a Garmin Edge 830 bicycle computer with and without a wireless wheel speed sensor to record naturalistic ride data at 1 Hz. The .fit files were downloaded directly from the computer, uploaded to the chosen test platforms - Strava, Garmin Connect, and GoldenCheetah - and then exported to .gpx, .tcx and .csv formats. Those same .fit files were also parsed directly to .csv using the Garmin FIT Software Developer Kit (SDK) FitCSVTool utility. The data in those .csv files (henceforth referred to as “SDK data”) were then either directly
Sweet, DavidBretting, Gerald
SAE J3230 provides Kinematic Performance Metrics for Powered Standing Scooters. These performance metrics include many tests which require specific conditions including flat pavement with a near zero slope, drivers of specific height and weights, and data acquisition equipment. In order to determine the efficacy of replicating SAE J3230 tests in a laboratory setting, a device called the Micromobility Device Thermo-Electric Dynamometer was used alongside outdoor tests to provide a comparison of scooter performance in these two testing applications. Based on the testing outcomes, it can be determined whether SAE J3230 and similar standards for other micromobility devices can be replicated in a lab-based setting, saving time, operator hazard, and providing more thorough data outputs.
Bartholomew, MeredithAndreatta, DaleZagorski, ScottHeydinger, Gary
During a pitch-over event, the forward momentum of the combined bicycle and rider is suddenly arrested causing the rider and bicycle to rotate about the front wheel and also possibly propelling the rider forward. This paper examines the pitch-over of a bicycle and rider using two methods different from previous approaches. One method uses Newton’s 2nd Law directly and the other method uses the principle of impulse and momentum, the integrated form of Newton’s 2nd Law. The two methods provide useful equations, contributing to current literature on the topic of reconstructing and analyzing bicycle pitch-over incidents. The analysis is supplemented with Madymo simulations to evaluate the kinematics and kinetics of the bicycle and rider interacting with front wheel obstructions of different heights. The effect of variables such as rider weight, rider coupling to the bicycle, bicycle speed, and obstruction height on resulting kinematics were evaluated. The analysis shows that a larger
Brach, R. MatthewKelley, MireilleVan Poppel, Jon
Cilia, small, slender, hair-like structures present on the surface of all mammalian cells, play a major role in locomotion and are involved in mechanoreception. Ciliary motion in the upper airway is the primary mechanism by which the body transports foreign particulates out of the respiratory system to maintain proper respiratory function.
Letter from the Guest Editors
Kolhe, Mohan LalZhang, Ronghui
A team of engineers is on a mission to redefine mobility by providing innovative wearable solutions to physical therapists, orthotic and prosthetic professionals, and individuals experiencing walking impairment and disability. Co-founded by Ray Browning and Zach Lerner, Portland-based startup Biomotum, aims “to empower mobility by energizing every step” through their wearable robotics technology.
From automakers to companies in the wider mobility industry, hydrogen power is seeing no shortage of investment and research even as some remain unconvinced of its future. Most outsiders to the transportation industry don't know much about rapid developments in hydrogen fuel-cell and hydrogen internal-combustion. There just aren't the large-scale commercial and public efforts to inform the public as exist for the battery-electric vehicle market. Still, 50% of people in a recent Department of Energy survey said they understood that hydrogen has a chance to be a clean alternative source of power for vehicles and even for homes. Spotlight or no, progress is being made. And though much of it is outside the United States, American cities and companies have absolutely not given up on the technology. SAE Media wanted to check in and note recent transportation developments that use the earth's most abundant element.
Clonts, Chris
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