Assessing the Impact of Multi-variate Steering-rate Vehicle Control on Driver Performance in a Simulation Framework

When a driver turns a steering-wheel, he or she normally expects the vehicle\u27s steering system to communicate an equivalent amount of signal to the road-wheels. This relationship is linear and occurs regardless of the steering-wheel\u27s position within its rotational travel. The linear steering paradigm in passenger vehicles has gone largely unchanged since mass production of passenger vehicles began in 1901. However, as more electronically-controlled steering systems appear in conjunction with development of autonomous steering functions in vehicles, an opportunity to advance the existing steering paradigms arises. The following framework takes a human-factors approach toward examining and evaluating alternative steering systems by using Modeling and Simulation methods to track and score human performance. Present conventional steering systems apply a linear relationship between the steering-wheel and the road wheels of a vehicle. The rotational travel of the steering-wheel is 900° and requires two-and-a-half revolutions to travel from end-stop to opposite end-stop. The experimental steering system modeled and employed in this study applies a dynamic curve response to the steering input within a shorter, 225° rotational travel. Accommodation variances, based on vehicle speed and steering-wheel rotational position and acceleration, moderate the apparent steering input to augment a more-practical, effective steering rate. This novel model follows a paradigm supporting the full range of steering-wheel actuation without necessitating hand repositioning or the removal of the driver\u27s hands from the steering-wheel during steering maneuvers. In order to study human performance disparities between novel and conventional steering models, a custom simulator was constructed and programmed to render representative models in a test scenario. Twenty-seven males and twenty-seven females, ranging from the ages of eighteen to sixty-five were tested and scored using the driving simulator that presented two successive driving test vignettes: One vignette using conventional 900° steering with linear response and the other employing the augmented 225° multivariate, non-linear steering. The results from simulator testing suggest that both males and females perform better with the novel system, supporting the hypothesis that drivers of either gender perform better with a system augmented with 225° multivariate, non-linear steering than with a conventional steering system. Further analysis of the simulated-driving scores indicates performance parity between male and female participants, supporting the hypothesis positing no significant difference in driver performance between male and female drivers using the augmented steering system. Finally, composite data from written questionnaires support the hypothesis that drivers will prefer driving the augmented system over conventional steering. These collective findings support justification for testing and refining novel steering systems using Modeling and Simulation methods. As a product of this particular study, a tested and open-sourced simulation framework now exists such that researchers and automotive designers can develop, as well as evaluate their own steering-oriented products within a valid human-factors construct. The open-source nature of this framework implies a commonality by which otherwisedisparate research and development work can be associated. Extending this framework beyond basic investigation to reach applications requiring morespecialized parameters may even impact drivers having special needs. For example, steeringsystem functional characteristics could be comparatively optimized to accommodate individuals afflicted with upper-body deficits or limited use of either or both arms. Moreover, the combined human-factors and open-source approaches distinguish the products of this research as a common and extensible platform by which purposeful automotive-industry improvements can be realized—contrasted with arbitrary improvements that might be brought about predominantly to showcase technological advancements

Employing Emerging Technologies to Develop and Evaluate In-Vehicle Intelligent Systems for Driver Support: Infotainment AR HUD Case Study

The plurality of current infotainment devices within the in-vehicle space produces an unprecedented volume of incoming data that overwhelm the typical driver, leading to higher collision probability. This work presents an investigation to an alternative option which aims to manage the incoming information while offering an uncluttered and timely manner of presenting and interacting with the incoming data safely. The latter is achieved through the use of an augmented reality (AR) head-up display (HUD) system, which projects the information within the driver’s field of view. An uncluttered gesture recognition interface provides the interaction with the AR visuals. For the assessment of the system’s effectiveness, we developed a full-scale virtual reality driving simulator which immerses the drivers in challenging, collision-prone, scenarios. The scenarios unfold within a digital twin model of the surrounding motorways of the city of Glasgow. The proposed system was evaluated in contrast to a typical head-down display (HDD) interface system by 30 users, showing promising results that are discussed in detail

Employing Emerging Technologies to Develop and Evaluate In-Vehicle Intelligent Systems for Driver Support: Infotainment AR HUD Case Study

The plurality of current infotainment devices within the in-vehicle space produces an unprecedented volume of incoming data that overwhelm the typical driver, leading to higher collision probability. This work presents an investigation to an alternative option which aims to manage the incoming information while offering an uncluttered and timely manner of presenting and interacting with the incoming data safely. The latter is achieved through the use of an augmented reality (AR) head-up display (HUD) system, which projects the information within the driver’s field of view. An uncluttered gesture recognition interface provides the interaction with the AR visuals. For the assessment of the system’s effectiveness, we developed a full-scale virtual reality driving simulator which immerses the drivers in challenging, collision-prone, scenarios. The scenarios unfold within a digital twin model of the surrounding motorways of the city of Glasgow. The proposed system was evaluated in contrast to a typical head-down display (HDD) interface system by 30 users, showing promising results that are discussed in detail

Conception et évaluation d’un simulateur à réalité virtuelle d’intervention laparoscopique actionné par des embrayages magnétorhéologiques

La laparoscopie est une technique chirurgicale qui offre une alternative moins invasive à la chirurgie abdominale traditionnelle, en permettant aux patients de récupérer plus rapidement et avec moins de douleur. Dès son arrivée, cette nouvelle technique a su révolutionner le monde de la chirurgie, mais cette révolution est d'ailleurs venue avec un cout, une formation longue et difficile. Des simulateurs haptiques ont tenté de rendre cet apprentissage plus facile, mais leur cout élevé et leurs grosses dimensions les rendent difficiles d'accès pour les étudiants moyens. Afin de résoudre ce problème, des concepts qui utilisent des dispositifs haptiques sont offerts sur le marché pour concevoir des plateformes de simulation d'interventions laparoscopiques. Ces plateformes sont toutefois peu fidèles à la réalité et n'atteignent pas simultanément les performances dynamiques et cinétiques nécessaires à un apprentissage adéquat. En effet, les moteurs électriques utilisés obligent les concepteurs de dispositifs haptiques à faire un compromis entre la force produite et la réponse dynamique du système. Cette approche pourrait par contre être utilisée avec un dispositif haptique nouvelle-génération, le T-Rex. Ce dernier a été développé récemment par Exonetik, une compagnie issue de recherches de l'Université de Sherbrooke. Contrairement aux dispositifs haptiques offerts sur le marché, le T-Rex utilise la technologie d'actionneurs magnéto-rhéologiques développée par Exonetik. Cette technologie pourrait permettre d'atteindre les performances dynamiques et cinétiques nécessaires à la formation de chirurgiens. Ce projet de recherche présente l'analyse préliminaire du T-Rex d'Exonetik en tant que simulateur à réalité virtuelle d'interventions laparoscopiques. Un simulateur à réalité virtuelle d'interventions laparoscopiques utilisant le T-Rex d'Exonetik en tant qu'interface haptique a été conçu. Des critères de performances ont été établis à l'aide de la littérature pour faire une évaluation quantitative du système. Des simulations utilisant la méthode des éléments finis ont aussi été développées pour faire une évaluation qualitative du système auprès de résidents et de chirurgiens. L'évaluation quantitative du système démontre qu'il répond aux quatre critères cinématiques ainsi qu'à trois des quatre critères cinétiques. Les résultats démontrent donc que l'utilisation d'actionneurs magnéto-rhéologiques dans les simulateurs à réalité virtuelle d'interventions laparoscopiques a beaucoup de potentiel. Par contre, la friction dans le système se doit d'être adressée dans les itérations futures du système

Digitalization of Battery Manufacturing: Current Status, Challenges, and Opportunities

As the world races to respond to the diverse and expanding demands for electrochemical energy storage solutions, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) remain the most advanced technology in the battery ecosystem. Even as unprecedented demand for state-of-the-art batteries drives gigascale production around the world, there are increasing calls for next-generation batteries that are safer, more affordable, and energy-dense. These trends motivate the intense pursuit of battery manufacturing processes that are cost effective, scalable, and sustainable. The digital transformation of battery manufacturing plants can help meet these needs. This review provides a detailed discussion of the current and near-term developments for the digitalization of the battery cell manufacturing chain and presents future perspectives in this field. Current modelling approaches are reviewed, and a discussion is presented on how these elements can be combined with data acquisition instruments and communication protocols in a framework for building a digital twin of the battery manufacturing chain. The challenges and emerging techniques provided here is expected to give scientists and engineers from both industry and academia a guide toward more intelligent and interconnected battery manufacturing processes in the future

Digitalization of Battery Manufacturing: Current Status, Challenges, and Opportunities

As the world races to respond to the diverse and expanding demands for electrochemical energy storage solutions, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) remain the most advanced technology in the battery ecosystem. Even as unprecedented demand for state-of-the-art batteries drives gigascale production around the world, there are increasing calls for next-generation batteries that are safer, more affordable, and energy-dense. These trends motivate the intense pursuit of battery manufacturing processes that are cost effective, scalable, and sustainable. The digital transformation of battery manufacturing plants can help meet these needs. This review provides a detailed discussion of the current and near-term developments for the digitalization of the battery cell manufacturing chain and presents future perspectives in this field. Current modelling approaches are reviewed, and a discussion is presented on how these elements can be combined with data acquisition instruments and communication protocols in a framework for building a digital twin of the battery manufacturing chain. The challenges and emerging techniques provided here is expected to give scientists and engineers from both industry and academia a guide toward more intelligent and interconnected battery manufacturing processes in the future.publishedVersio