Design and Evaluation of a Virtual Reality-Based Car Configuration Concept

The Daimler AG provided a concept preview towards the individualization of interior trim parts at the International Motor Show in September 2017, which was named unleash the color. At the show, a tablet computer was used to enable the configuration of a car. The configuration output, in turn, could be either directly previewed on the tablet computer or experienced using a virtual reality application. However, as the car configuration procedure is usually performed iteratively, a user experiences frequent context switches of the used software application, which often leads to an embittered perceived user experience and usability. To remedy these drawbacks, one promising approach constitutes the idea to integrate the configuration procedure into a proper virtual reality application. The work at hand presents Xconcept, which draws upon various state-of-the-art approaches from the field of human-computer interaction to provide a suitable car configuration procedure based on a virtual reality setting. Among other important factors, one fundamental goal of Xconcept constitutes the perceived user experience independently of age, gender, or previous virtual reality experiences. To evaluate whether or not this can be achieved with Xconcept, we conducted a study with employees of the Daimler AG. Although the results of the study reveal that with rising age, the rating of the Xconcept deteriorates, the overall user experience and usability has been rated positively. Interestingly, gender and previous experiences with virtual reality applications had no significant effect on the rating of the user experience. Altogether, Xconcept shows valuable insights to ease the car configuration procedure based on a proper virtual reality setting

Lawson criterion for ignition exceeded in an inertial fusion experiment

For more than half a century, researchers around the world have been engaged in attempts to achieve fusion ignition as a proof of principle of various fusion concepts. Following the Lawson criterion, an ignited plasma is one where the fusion heating power is high enough to overcome all the physical processes that cool the fusion plasma, creating a positive thermodynamic feedback loop with rapidly increasing temperature. In inertially confined fusion, ignition is a state where the fusion plasma can begin "burn propagation" into surrounding cold fuel, enabling the possibility of high energy gain. While "scientific breakeven" (i.e., unity target gain) has not yet been achieved (here target gain is 0.72, 1.37 MJ of fusion for 1.92 MJ of laser energy), this Letter reports the first controlled fusion experiment, using laser indirect drive, on the National Ignition Facility to produce capsule gain (here 5.8) and reach ignition by nine different formulations of the Lawson criterion

ARENA2036 – FRP Lightweight Design by Functional integration: Challenges concerning an integrative FRP floor module

One of the main challenges in the automotive industry is vehicle structure weight reduction motivated by shrinking resources and rising environmental awareness. Fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) with a load-oriented fiber design have a growing importance. Reasoned specific structure and fabrication process FRP offers excellent opportunities to integrate additional features in the structural component. Therefore, originally required components, for example sensors, can be integrated to generate secondary weight reduction potential. In order to focus existing competence in lightweight construction and production of the region Stuttgart the research campus ARENA2036 (Active Research Environment for the Next Generation of Automobiles) was set up on the site of the University of Stuttgart in 2013. The research program concentrates on forward-looking research projects in the field of Fiber-reinforced plastics. The start project, “Intelligent Lightweight Construction with Functional Integration” (LeiFu), forces the functionalization of FRP structures through a combination of improved existing and novel approaches. In particular, this project examines the integration of mechanical, thermal, electrical and sensory functions in a FRP floor module. For this purpose, the areas of suitability for mass production, costs, joining technology, functionalization, EMC, assembly, and reparability are challenges for appropriate alternative solutions

ARENA2036 - Fiber Reinforced Plastic Structures with Functional Integration

With respect to the requirements of the next generation of automobiles the central challenges regarding weight targets have to be addressed during the conceptual phase of structural de-velopment. Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (FRP) materials are playing an increasingly important role in further weight reduction efforts in the automotive industry due to their comparatively high specific mechanical properties in comparison to conventional automotive materials. However a widespread use of these high-performance materials in the automotive industry is prevented by their comparatively high costs. In order to make profitable use of these materi-als secondary weight saving potentials need to be utilized. Through integration of additional functions into the load bearing structures, secondary weight-saving potentials can be made accessible by eliminating redundant components and therefore lead to reduced overall masses. The conceptual work in ARENA2036 “Intelligent Lightweight Construction with Functional Integration” (LeiFu) aims for an integration of a va-riety of functions and components into the primary structures of an automotive floor module in order to decrease the overall part count and achieve a reduction in the total weight. Due to their specific design and manufacturing processes, FRP materials offer opportunities for functional integration on multiple levels during fabrication and assembly. The possibilities for complex structural geometry in combination with further materials, for example in sandwich structures, provide functional integration potential on a component level (e.g. air ducts, component housings, fluid containers or heat insulation). Furthermore the semi-finished textiles allow integrated sensory functions (e.g. temperature monitoring or fluid detection in the battery module)