Extended reality in the automotive sector: A bibliometric analysis of publications from 2012 to 2022

The present study aims to present a bibliometric analysis of publications related to "Extended Reality" (XR) in the automotive sector. XR is revolutionizing the industry in all fields, and the automotive is one of the sectors that has had much to gain from this technology and its components (Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality). Articles on XR in the automotive field that were published from 2012 to 2022 were retrieved from the Scopus database. Extracted items were analysed in terms of the document type, document language, year of publication, country, authors, affiliations, sources, citations, keywords, and research domains. The open-source tool VOSviewer was used to visualize trends in research on XR applied to automotive. The analyses of 1584 documents revealed that the total number of publications has continually increased over the last 11 years. The country producing most of the articles in this field was Germany, followed by the United States and China. The most productive journal is Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour and the institution that issued most of the articles is Technical University of Munich. From the analysis of author keywords, the prominent research areas currently involving the use of XR technologies in automotive can be highlighted: virtual prototyping, design, manufacturing, sales, training, driver or pedestrian behaviour analysis, and ergonomics. More recently, terms like artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles have started to be used more frequently in studies in the field. The current study reveals an expanding corpus of literature on XR-based applications for the automotive sector using bibliometric methods. Researchers and stakeholders can use this study as a useful reference to comprehend the big picture and the state-of-the-art in this area.

Exploring nanocellulose frontiers: A comprehensive review of its extraction, properties, and pioneering applications in the automotive and biomedical industries

Material is an inseparable entity for humans to serve different purposes. However, synthetic polymers represent a major category of anthropogenic pollutants with detrimental impacts on natural ecosystems. This escalating environmental issue is characterized by the accumulation of non-biodegradable plastic materials, which pose serious threats to the health of our planet's ecosystem. Cellulose is becoming a focal point for many researchers due to its high availability. It has been used to serve various purposes. Recent scientific advancements have unveiled innovative prospects for the utilization of nanocellulose within the area of advanced science. This comprehensive review investigates deeply into the field of nanocellulose, explaining the methodologies employed in separating nanocellulose from cellulose. It also explains upon two intricately examined applications that emphasize the pivotal role of nanocellulose in nanocomposites. The initial instance pertains to the automotive sector, encompassing cutting-edge applications in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, while the second exemplifies the use of nanocellulose in the field of biomedical applications like otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology, and wound dressing. This review aims to provide comprehensive information starting from the definitions, identifying the sources of the nanocellulose and its extraction, and ending with the recent applications in the emerging field such as energy storage and biomedical applications.

Frontal-oblique impact sled tests of a rearward-facing child restraint system with and without a support leg

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the head and neck injury metrics of an anthropometric test device (ATD) in a rearward-facing child restraint system (CRS), with and without a support leg, in frontal-oblique impacts.

METHODS

Sled tests using the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 213 frontal crash pulse (48 km/h, 23 g) were performed with a simulated Consumer Reports test buck, which comprised a test bench that mimics the rear outboard vehicle seat of a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The test bench was rigidised to increase durability for repeated testing and the seat springs and cushion were replaced every five tests. A force plate was mounted to the floor of the test buck directly in front of the test bench to measure support leg peak reaction force. The test buck was rotated 30° and 60° relative to the longitudinal axis of the sled deck to represent frontal-oblique impacts. The door surrogate from the FMVSS 213a side impact test was rigidly attached to the sled deck adjacent to the test bench. The 18-month-old Q-Series (Q1.5) ATD was seated in a rearward-facing infant CRS, which was attached to the test bench with either rigid lower anchors or a three-point seatbelt. The rearward-facing infant CRS was tested with and without a support leg. Conductive foil was attached to the upper edge of the door panel and a strip of conductive foil was attached to the top of the ATD head so that a voltage signal quantified contact with the door panel. A new CRS was used for each test. A repeat test was performed for each condition for a total of 16 tests.

DATA SOURCES

Resultant linear head acceleration 3 ms clip; head injury criterion 15 ms (HIC15); peak neck tensile force; peak neck flexion moment; potential difference between the ATD head and the door panel; support leg peak reaction force.

RESULTS

The presence of a support leg significantly reduced head injury metrics (p < 0.001) and peak neck tensile force (p = 0.004) compared to tests without a support leg. Rigid lower anchors were associated with significant reductions in head injury metrics and peak neck flexion moment (p < 0.001) compared to tests that attached the CRS with the seatbelt. The 60° frontal-oblique tests had significantly elevated head injury metrics (p < 0.01) compared to the 30° frontal-oblique tests. No ATD head contact with the door was observed for 30° frontal-oblique tests. The ATD head contacted the door panel in the 60° frontal-oblique tests when the CRS was tested without the support leg. Average support leg peak reaction forces ranged from 2167 to 4160 N. The 30° frontal-oblique sled tests had significantly higher support leg peak reaction forces (p < 0.001) compared to the 60° frontal-oblique sled tests.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the current study add to the growing body of evidence regarding the protective benefits of CRS models with a support leg and rigid lower anchors.

Greenhouse gas emissions and peak trend of commercial vehicles in China

Commercial vehicles are important within the context of global warming, since they exhibit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are disproportionate to their quantity. The aim of this study was to create a bottom-up GHG emissions assessment model which considers GHG emissions of newly produced commercial vehicles and those in current use. Through this study, the number of future commercial vehicles were predicted, thereby facilitating a simulation of future GHG emissions. Our results show that the total GHG emissions of commercial vehicles in 2019 was 580 million t CO_2-eq.. Among them, the GHG emissions stemming from the production of new commercial vehicles accounted for ∼0.3% of the emissions, whereas the use stage accounted for more than 99.0%. Moreover, the future ownership of commercial vehicles depends on GDP and the demand of freight and passenger transport. The ownership of commercial vehicles was predicted about 36.61 million in 2025, 45.44 million in 2030 and 55.85 million in 2035. The carbon peak of commercial vehicles varies across different scenarios, peaking around 2031-2034, at 680-780 million t CO_2-eq.. This study systematically simulated the carbon peak of commercial vehicles, contributing toward a deeper understanding of commercial vehicles within the context of GHG emissions. These results can be applied toward creating quantitatively-driven pathways for carbon peak or neutrality targets in the commercial vehicle sector.

End-of-life vehicles research development in Malaysia: a comprehensive review with the integrated conceptual model of innovative sustainable manufacturing elements

The end-of-life vehicles (ELV) issue has become an essential topic in the fast-growing automotive industry. This study utilizes comprehensive content analysis to critically review the recent ELV research developments and underpinning issues in Malaysia. Fifty relevant ELV studies in Malaysia from the year 2006 to 2021 are selected and categorized based on three innovative sub-elements (product, process, system) of sustainable manufacturing. The literature review findings show that sustainable product recovery and recyclability issues in ELV treatments are still a major concern. Current studies overlook specific research on sustainable and integrated processes for ELV treatment. There is still lack of detailed ELV implementation framework equipped with the documented procedures and appropriate industrial practices in the ELV ecosystem to optimize the ELV supply chain. ELV policy is yet to be enacted in Malaysia, and public awareness of ELV is still low. There is inadequate alignment in ELV research developments with the current National Automotive Policy 2020 in Malaysia. The proposed integrated conceptual model will provide an extensive overview for scholars, policy-makers, and ELV stakeholders to implement appropriate actions to improve present ELV businesses in line with the public readiness to enact the potential ELV directives or legislation in Malaysia.

Understanding systemic disruption from the Covid-19-induced semiconductor shortage for the auto industry

Covid-19 has allowed us to study systemic disruptions that impact entire industries. This paper explores how disruptions start, propagate, and continue over time by examining the semiconductor chip shortage faced by the auto industry during the years following Covid-19 in 2020. First, we carried out a thematic analysis of 209 pertinent newspaper articles. The analysis resulted in a thematic model of such disruptions with the interplay of various factors leading to the prolonged disruption to the auto sector. Second, we present the results from a stylized supply chain planning model run at different times to show how disruptions propagate to the auto and other sectors, causing systemic shortages. Overall, we contribute to the supply chain risk literature by focusing on system disruptions impacting entire industries versus normal disruptions affecting a particular company's supply chain.

[Deglobalization, reconfiguration, or business as usual? COVID-19 and the limits of reshoring of globalized productionDéglobalisation, reconfiguration ou business as usual ? COVID-19 et les limites de la relocalisation de production mondialisée]

The economic difficulties following the COVID-19 pandemic have seemingly reinforced the need for geographic restructuring and a reshoring of production, as they have demonstrated the vulnerability of globalized production. This article provides an assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the geographies of production. Criticizing overly simplified perspectives on globalization, the article argues that global production networks are multiscalar and politically shaped phenomena. Based on these theoretical considerations and case studies on the automotive, electronics and clothing industries, the article concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be interpreted as a trigger for a general retreat from global manufacturing, but it reinforced longer-standing shifts toward more multipolar production and consumption structures. While the issue of global production network resilience has attracted greater attention in corporate strategies and industrial policies, the localization and regionalization of production networks is only one of several strategies, and it has hardly been implemented so far. Ongoing disruptions of supply chains, increased transport costs, and, above all, geopolitically and environmentally motivated policies could well lead to greater re- or nearshoring. Political efforts in this direction are, however, limited by pre-existing global economic development paths and the balance of power associated with them. In the conclusions, the article stresses the necessity of a politically motivated restructuring of global production networks in the context of an urgently needed social-ecological transformation.

Age-based differences in the disability of spine injuries in pediatric and adult motor vehicle crash occupants

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to develop a disability-based metric for quantifying disability rates as a result of motor vehicle crash (MVC) spine injuries and compare functional outcomes between pediatric and adult subgroups.

METHODS

Disability rate was quantified using Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores within the National Trauma Data Bank-Research Data System for the top 95% most frequent Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 3 spine injuries (14 unique injuries). Pediatric (7-18 years), young adult (19-45 years), middle-aged adult (46-65 years), and older adult (66+ years) MVC occupants with FIM scores available and at least one of the 14 spine injuries were included. FIM scores of 1 or 2 at time of discharge were used to define disability and correspond to full functional or modified dependence in self-feeding, locomotion, and/or verbal expression. Disability rate was evaluated on a per injury basis for each AIS 3 spine injury and calculated as the proportion of cases associated with disability (i.e. FIM of 1 or 2) out of the total cases of that particular injury. Disability rates were calculated with and without the exclusion of cases with severe co-injuries (AIS 4+) to minimize bias from additional non-spinal injuries that could have contributed to disability. Associations between adjusted disability rates and existing mortality rates were investigated.

RESULTS

Locomotion impairment alone was the most frequent disability type for the top 14 AIS 3 spine injuries (7 cervical, 4 thoracic, and 3 lumbar) across all age groups and spine regions. Adjusted and unadjusted disability rates ranged from 0-69%. Adjusted disability rates increased with age: 14.8 ± 10% (mean ± SD) in pediatrics to 16.2 ± 6.6% (young adults), 29.2 ± 10.9% (middle-aged adults), and 45.0 ± 12.2% (older adults). Among all adult populations, adjusted mortality and disability rates were positively correlated (R²>0.24), with disability rates consistently greater than corresponding mortality rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Older adults had significantly greater disability rates associated with MVC spine injuries across all spinal regions. MVC disability rates for pediatrics were considerably lower. Overall, rates of mortality were significantly lower than rates of disability. The adjusted disability rates developed can supplement existing injury metrics by accounting for age- and location-specific functional implications of MVC spine injuries.

The effects of stature, age, gender, and posture preferences on preferred joint angles after real driving

Few studies have investigated preferred driving posture involving real-world driving. For this purpose, seven preferred joint angles of 127 participants were recorded three times from sagittal plane photographs after a short, standardized drive on public roads. Participants' individual driving posture preferences were determined using a word-based questionnaire. The inter- and intraindividual joint angle differences were calculated and some significant effects of stature, age, and gender on these joint angle differences were found. Additionally, significant correlations were found between posture preferences and joint angles, except for the lower extremities. The results show that the factors stature, age, gender, and posture preferences have influence on the preferred joint angles. However, other human-, vehicle-, and context-related factors also seem relevant and should be considered in future studies. The results provide important field-based knowledge for an application-oriented understanding of driving posture and for the human-centered design process of future vehicle interior research and development.

Evaluation on the automotive skill competency test through 'discontinuity' model and the competency test management of vocational education school in Central Java, Indonesia

This article provides an alternative competency test model for vocational education schools in Central Java, Indonesia which particularly for automotive skill competency in order to replace the current competency test model that has been implemented for several decades which the author's concern about the students' accomplishment during the competency test, aimed to improve competency test results to increase the students' job opportunity in the labor market. Currently, the applied competency test model is the ‘Continuity’ model, where the students are given five tasks and should be finished within five hours with limited break time. This model tends to increase students' fatigue and stress levels. Consequently, the students lose their focus and concentration which adversely impacts their competency test results. In this study, the new competency test model namely the ‘Discontinuity’ competency test model was proposed aiming to overcome the issue of the ‘Continuity’ model. To research the effect of the ‘Discontinuity’ model implementation on the students' competency test results and vocational school competency test management, a study was done among 100 students and 50 teachers in 10 vocational education schools around Central Java, Indonesia. The results show that the ‘Discontinuity’ competency test model gives a significant improvement in the students' competency test scores. This reasonably happened due to the implementation of the ‘Discontinuity’ model gives the students time to break for an hour of each competency task. Without this break time, fatigue and stress levels of the students will significantly increase which adversely affect the students' competency final score. In addition, the new management of the competency test was proposed in this research.

Assessing exposure of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in car cabins: Current understanding and future challenges in developing a standardized methodology

Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) can be found in air, dust and on surfaces in car cabins, leading to exposure to humans via dust ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. This review aims at describing current understanding concerning sampling, levels, and human exposure of SVOCs from car cabin environments. To date, several different methods are used to sample SVOCs in car cabin air and dust and there are no standard operating procedures for sampling SVOCs in cars detailed in the literature. The meta-analysis of SVOCs in car cabin air and dust shows that brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) have been most frequently studied, primarily focusing on concentrations in dust. In dust, detected concentrations span over three to seven orders of magnitude, with highest median concentrations for OPFRs, followed by BFRs and, thereafter, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In air, the variation is smaller, spanning over one to three orders of magnitude, with phthalates and siloxanes having the highest median concentrations, followed by OPFRs, fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and BFRs. Assessments of human exposures to SVOCs in cars have, so far, mainly focused on external exposure, most often only studying one exposure route, primarily via dust ingestion. In order to perform relevant and complete assessments of human exposure to SVOCs in cars, we suggest broadening the scope to which SVOCs should be studied, promoting more comprehensive external exposure assessments that consider exposure via all relevant exposure routes and making comparisons of external and internal exposure, in order to understand the importance of in-car exposure as a source of SVOC exposure. We also suggest a new sampling approach that includes sampling of SVOCs in both car cabin air and dust, aiming to reduce variability in data due to differences in sampling techniques and protocols.

The visual categorization of production automotive seats on descriptors of comfort

BACKGROUND

The role of appearance of automotive seats on perceived comfort and comfort expectancy has been acknowledged in previous research but it has not been investigated in depth.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the effects of the appearance of production automotive seats, based on the hypothesis that visual design differentiations are affective in creating comfort expectations. The significance of the descriptors Sporty, Luxurious and Comfortable and the associated visual design attributes was of interest.

METHOD

Images from 38 automotive production seats were used in an image-based card sorting app (qCard) with a total of 24 participants. Participants were asked to categorize the different seat designs varying from 1: least, to 9: most for all three descriptors.The resulting data was analyzed using hierarchical clustering analysis.

RESULTS

The results indicated that the perceived Sporty, Luxurious and Comfortable were descriptor items that significantly differentiated seats with certain design attributes. It was found that for the Sporty perception the integrated headrest design and angular shapes were key. On the other hand, the Comfort perception was characterised by seating with a separate headrest and rounded seat back/cushion shapes.

CONCLUSIONS

For seat design processes, the method enables a practical way to identify elements conveying Sporty, Comfortable and Luxurious perception.

Experimental assessment of a linear actuator driven by magnetorheological clutches for automotive active suspensions

The main functions of automotive suspensions are to improve passenger comfort as well as vehicle dynamic performance. Simultaneously satisfying these functions is not possible because they require opposing suspension adjustments. This fundamental design trade-off can be solved with an active suspension system providing real-time modifications of the suspension behavior and vehicle attitude corrections. However, current active suspension actuator technologies have yet to reach a wide-spread commercial adoption due to excessive costs and performance limitations. This paper presents a design study assessing the potential of magnetorheological clutch actuators for automotive active suspension applications. An experimentally validated dynamic model is used to derive meaningful design requirements. An actuator design is proposed and built using a motor to feed counter-rotating MR clutches to provide upward and downward forces. Experimental characterization shows that all intended design requirements are met, and that the actuator can output a peak force of ±5300 N, a peak linear speed of ±1.9 m/s and a blocked-output force bandwidth of 92 Hz. When compared to other relevant technologies, the MR approach simultaneously shows both better force density and speeds (bandwidth) while adding minimal costs and weight. Results from this experimental assessment suggest that MR slippage actuation is promising for automotive active suspensions.

Digital press shops: Data of an online survey among press shop experts

Modern automotive press shops are reaching their process limits due to increasing demands on car body shapes. At the same time, transmission of information and readjustment in the event of quality losses because of process errors is still largely controlled manually. The survey presented here, deals with better connected processes as well as data acquisition, and track and trace applications in press shops. The survey was directed to experts from the automotive industry and is to determine how automated and connected the processes in press shops already are. The survey was conducted from March till April 2020. With a total of 24 questions, an attempt is made to gain a comprehensive picture of the current status and the existing potential regarding smart press shops. In addition to questions on the marking and tracking of pressed parts, the objective is to find out which process data is already being recorded today and what conclusions can be drawn from it regarding the expected part quality. The evaluation of the survey is intended to build the basis for research activities on smart, connected press shops.

Interaction design for multi-user virtual reality systems: An automotive case study

Virtual reality (VR) technology have become ever matured today. Various research and practice have demonstrated the potential benefits of using VR in different application area of manufacturing, such as in factory layout planning, product design, training, etc. However, along with the new possibilities brought by VR, comes with the new ways for users to communicate with the computer system. The human computer interaction design for these VR systems becomes pivotal to the smooth integration. In this paper, it reports the study that investigates interaction design strategies for the multi-user VR system used in manufacturing context though an automotive case study.

The end of the assembly line: Shifting patterns of automotive burns

INTRODUCTION

As recently as 2006, carburetor flash burns comprised as much as 27% of admissions for car-related burns, despite the fact carburetors were last installed in pre-1990 automobiles. The prevalence of this injury pattern is related to the estimated 14 million cars on the road today that were manufactured prior to that year. The aim of this study was to investigate modern sources of automotive burns and describe any new trends in automotive burn-related epidemiology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted of all burn admissions from the years 2009-2013 to identify patients who suffered automotive-related burns. Pediatric patients (<18 years old) were excluded. Demographic information including age, gender, mechanism of injury, occupation, TBSA, number of operations, and length of hospital stay were recorded.

RESULTS

From 2009-2013, the burn center saw 83 admissions for automotive-related burns. 14.5% of patients were mechanics. The most common injury pattern was from radiator burns (47%), followed by gasoline related burns (30%). There were only two carburetor burns (2.4%). 67.4% of patients were treated for less than two hospital days and there was one death (1.2% mortality).

CONCLUSION

Despite the removal of carburetors from engines and a decrease in this specific mechanism, a significant morbidity remains with gasoline-inflicted burns. More public awareness is needed for the safe removal of radiator caps and handling of chemicals in overheating engines.

Ergonomics assessment of passive upper-limb exoskeletons in an automotive assembly plant

Over the years, the industry's interest in using external support devices, such as exoskeletons, is increasing. They are introduced as a new technique for improving the conditions of workers and for reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. An investigation of muscle activity, Jonsson's (Jonsson, 1982) ergonomic acceptance ranges, and shoulder range of motion was conducted with a sample of 12 workers using an upper extremity exoskeleton in an automotive assembly line. The operators performed continuous cycles of dynamic overhead work consisting of the assembly of the car body at the underside of the car making use of pneumatic screwdrivers. The EMGs (anterior part of deltoid, trapezius, latissimus dorsi and erector spinae) were measured for the muscle activity analysis on the one hand, and for the ergonomics study on the other hand. The latter consisted of an approach based on Jonsson's work, that establishes acceptance thresholds of cumulative percentage of maximum voluntary contraction of muscle activity (%MVC) in a work cycle. The joint angles motion capture was carried out by measuring the angles of the neck, back, and arms joints. All measurements were performed during experimental sessions with and without an exoskeleton. The key findings show reductions of 34% and 18% of the deltoid and the trapezius muscular activities, respectively, which in turn could lead to a reduction of discomfort and fatigue. The erector spinae and latissimus dorsi muscles were not significantly affected by exoskeleton. The values of muscular activity were also represented over Jonsson's acceptance areas. Referring to the posture, some differences were found in the range of movement of back, neck, and arms owing to the use of the exoskeleton; however, the differences were smaller than 5% in all cases.

Seat cushions made of warp knitted spacer fabrics influence seat transmissibility

The aim of this study was to compare the application of different warp knitted spacer fabrics on a car seat shell to a standard seat in terms of vertical seat transmissibility. Furthermore, the results obtained by human subject tests were compared to results of an anthropodynamic dummy test. Experiments were conducted on a vertically actuated platform under laboratory conditions with 16 human subjects and an anthropodynamic dummy. Seat Effective Amplitude Transmissibility of the seat pan and the seat backrest were calculated to evaluate ride quality. Seat transmissibility ranged between 73.6% for backrest and 177.7% for pan. Based on the results of statistical tests, the hypothesis that the transmissibility of a seat would be influenced by seat cushion conditions was accepted (p < 0.05). It was also shown that an anthropodynamic dummy test could replace tests with human subjects (r² = 0.907) if the target population was matched sufficiently.

Discrimination of automotive window tint using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics

Automotive window tints are commonly applied to motor vehicles to reduce transmittance of light and heat into the interior. They may hence be encountered as physical evidence in criminal investigations, or in civil matters where a tint is suspected to originate from a different source than advertised. Establishing a tint's provenance would be highly relevant in such cases. However, there are currently a lack of established guidelines for forensic tint analysis. This study used attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy with chemometrics to characterize automotive tints based on their adhesive composition. Minimal variability was observed within a single roll of tint, however substantial variability was observed between tints of different brands. Certain individual tint products were also found to possess highly distinctive spectra. Subsequent predictive models were able to associate unknown tint samples to their brand, and found to be robust to both adhesive curing and short-term environmental exposure over a five-month period. The use of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics thus offers a rapid and objective approach to discriminating automotive tints for forensic purposes.

Comfortable leg splay of mid-sized males in automotive seats

Many factors affect the comfort of automotive seats including pressure distribution, vibration, temperature, and backrest inclination. However, one aspect of seating that has not been well studied is leg splay; splay is a rotation at the hips which causes the knees to move outward. The work presented here identified the ranges of "comfortable" splay in different styles of seats and related changes in seating pressure due to leg splay. Sixteen midsized male participants were tested in six seats: a flat control, three mid-sized sedan, a sports car, and a pickup truck. Participants sat with two leg conditions: 1) shoulder width apart and 2) rotating their legs to splay to a self-identified, comfortable position. For each test, the participant placed his left leg on a foot support and right leg on a depressible pedal to mimic a driving position. In each posture, leg angle and seat pan pressures were collected. Of the seats tested, the flat wooden seat had the highest possible splay (24.5°). The three sedan seats had similar splay angles (16.1-18.5°). The lowest splay values were in the sports car seat (8.96°) and truck seat (7.46°). This reduction in splay was attributed to the more aggressive bolsters in the sports car and a higher seat design position in the pickup truck seat. Following participant splay the pressures in the seat bolsters increased while the pressure in the left thigh and left buttocks regions decreased. By determining the comfortable ranges of splay and how pressure distribution is affected, seat designers and automobile manufacturers can use these data when evaluating seat designs and occupant positioning.

ReCAN - Dataset for reverse engineering of Controller Area Networks

This article details the methodology and the approach used to extract and decode the data obtained from the Controller Area Network (CAN) buses in two personal vehicles and three commercial trucks for a total of 36 million data frames. The dataset is composed of two complementary parts, namely the raw data and the decoded ones. Along with the description of the data, this article also reports both hardware and software requirements to first extract the data from the vehicles and secondly decode the binary data frames to obtain the actual sensors' data. Finally, to enable analysis reproducibility and future researches, the code snippets that have been described in pseudo-code will be publicly available in a code repository. Motivated enough actors may intercept, interact, and recognize the vehicle data with consumer-grade technology, ultimately refuting, once-again, the security-through-obscurity paradigm used by the automotive manufacturer as a primary defensive countermeasure.

Improving long term driving comfort by taking breaks - How break activity affects effectiveness

During long duration journeys, drivers are encouraged to take regular breaks. The benefits of breaks have been documented for safety; breaks may also be beneficial for comfort. The activity undertaken during a break may influence its effectiveness. Volunteers completed 3 journeys on a driving simulator. Each 130 min journey included a 10 min break after the first hour. During the break volunteers either stayed seated, left the simulator and sat in an adjacent room, or took a walk on a treadmill. The results show a reduction in driver discomfort during the break for all 3 conditions, but the effectiveness of the break was dependent on activity undertaken. Remaining seated in the vehicle provided some improvement in comfort, but more was experienced after leaving the simulator and sitting in an adjacent room. The most effective break occurred when the driver walked for 10 min on a treadmill. The benefits from taking a break continued until the end of the study (after a further hour of driving), such that comfort remained the best after taking a walk and worst for those who remained seated. It is concluded that taking a break and taking a walk is an effective method for relieving driving discomfort.

Future directions for the development of virtual reality within an automotive manufacturer

Virtual Reality (VR) can reduce time and costs, and lead to increases in quality, in the development of a product. Given the pressure on car companies to reduce time-to-market and to continually improve quality, the automotive industry has championed the use of VR across a number of applications, including design, manufacturing, and training. This paper describes interviews with 11 engineers and employees of allied disciplines from an automotive manufacturer about their current physical and virtual properties and processes. The results guided a review of research findings and scientific advances from the academic literature, which formed the basis of recommendations for future developments of VR technologies and applications. These include: develop a greater range of virtual contexts; use multi-sensory simulation; address perceived differences between virtual and real cars; improve motion capture capabilities; implement networked 3D technology; and use VR for market research.

The use of virtual reality and physical tools in the development and validation of ease of entry and exit in passenger vehicles

Ease of entry and exit is important for creating a positive first impression of a car and increasing customer satisfaction. Several methods are used within vehicle development to optimise ease of entry and exit, including CAD reviews, benchmarking and buck trials. However, there is an industry trend towards digital methods to reduce the costs and time associated with developing physical prototypes. This paper reports on a study of entry strategy in three properties (buck, car, CAVE) in which inconsistencies were demonstrated by people entering a vehicle representation in the CAVE. In a second study industry practitioners rated the CAVE as worse than physical methods for identifying entry and exit issues, and having lower perceived validity and reliability. However, the resource issues associated with building bucks were recognised. Recommendations are made for developing the CAVE and for combinations of methods for use at different stages of a vehicle's development.

Safe mobility for elderly drivers--considerations based on expert and self-assessment

To further understand the needs of the growing population of elderly drivers and create solutions for safe mobility it is important to understand the driving scenarios and aspects in day to day traffic that may be of challenge for this group. More so, individual differences in how drivers perceive their own driving ability may have an effect on how individuals limit their mobility and/or increase their exposure to risk situations, with a potential negative effect on safety. In this study two sets of assessments have been used in order to identify scenarios and aspects needing consideration in creating safe mobility for elderly drivers; an expert assessment using on-road driving together with assessments through semi structured in-depth interviews. This combination also enables categorisation of the drivers, comparing their own perception of their driving performance with the expert assessment based on actual on-road driving. Four different categories of drivers were identified: adequate (positive), over, under and adequate (negative) estimators. A number of important aspects were identified in the study. Adapting speed to the situation and driving too fast, especially on straight roads in the city, is one aspect. Seeking the attention of other road users at intersections and roundabouts is another important consideration identified. Awareness of difficulties related to speed adaptation and attention was low amongst all the driver categories. However, a difference in attitude was seen in the categories with a more humble and acceptant attitude amongst the adequate and under estimator groups, as compared to the over estimators suggesting that the aspect of attitudes is another important factor for consideration.

A literature review on optimum and preferred joint angles in automotive sitting posture

In this study, a survey of the scientific literature in the field of optimum and preferred human joint angles in automotive sitting posture was conducted by referring to thirty different sources published between 1940 and today. The strategy was to use only sources with numerical angle data in combination with keywords. The aim of the research was to detect commonly used joint angles in interior car design. The main analysis was on data measurement, usability and comparability of the different studies. In addition, the focus was on the reasons for the differently described results. It was found that there is still a lack of information in methodology and description of background. Due to these reasons published data is not always usable to design a modern ergonomic car environment. As a main result of our literature analysis we suggest undertaking further research in the field of biomechanics and ergonomics to work out scientific based and objectively determined "optimum" joint angles in automotive sitting position.