With 76% high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel, larger welds, and extensive use of structural adhesives, the design is predicted to get top ratings from NHTSA and IIHS. Other highlights are a direct-injection 3.3-L V6, hands- and feet-free liftgate, and UVO infotainment with new eServices.
The test was conducted to better understand the dynamic forces on an aircraft and its passengers during a crash landing. Findings form the event will support a new FAA performance-based rule that will simplify aircraft certification by eliminating or minimizing the use of special conditions.
McLaren Applied Technologies of Woking, United Kingdom unveiled their “MCLExtreme” (MCLE) vision for the future of grand prix racing. While McLaren Applied Technologies believes that the 2050 Formula 1 World Championship will still feature open-wheel, rear wheel drive cars with humans in the cockpit, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality, autonomous functions, and electric propulsion will play major roles.
TIoTA, an open software consortium of over 50 members organized to support the creation of a secure, scalable, interoperable, and trusted IoT ecosystem, began the E-Mobility Challenge to link IoT devices with consumers and stakeholder companies such as operators and service, communication, and payment providers within the preexisting European electric vehicle ecosystem.
TRW Automotive has launched its next-generation seatbelt retractor, the Floating Spool 1 (FS1), which offers reduced weight (about 15% lighter) and smaller dimensions compared to previous systems, according to the company. Production of the global FS1 technology starts in the second quarter of 2014.
Dangers from malware, including ransom demands, must be pro-actively avoided as industry and owners enter era of connected cars. For all their conveniences, telematics could pose ugly series of risks that will require new approaches to prevent, explains Cisco Systems scientist to SAE Congress attendees. Vulnerabilities are in many areas, including the OBD system.
Vehicular traffic deaths decline, but pedestrian fatalities unchanged. Proposed solutions range from greater use of roundabouts, new signaling, and vehicles with pedestrian detection and auto-braking. Some success found with driver and pedestrian education. "Vision Zero" program adopted in New York City.
LifeBelt is a webbing strap placed in the seat base, just below the seating surface, which is continuous with the standard seat belt and is loaded when the seat belt loads. Its effect is to form a loop around the upper leg area which encloses the pelvis and prevents submarining.
The continued use of composite materials in aerospace has revealed other challenges that need to be addressed while the solutions to material and manufacturing cost are reduced. Before the widespread use of the material in transportation vehicles can be realized, safety challenges surrounding the material must be addressed.
Engineers at NASCAR's Research & Development Center in Concord, NC, recently performed three separate window net and window net mounting tests and used them to design an improved window net mounting system for the 2013 season.