Even the lowly automotive crash test dummy had to be adapted to consider the rising number of obese people from all over the world. These human-like substitutes took the place of real people when the tests began to involve lethal forces that would have surely cut short the life of any volunteer (they actually used real people to test the effectivity of seatbelts when they were invented in real crashes). The newest versions of these unsung heroes of the automotive industry have thousands of sensors embedded within them to monitor all aspects of a crash to see whether an impact is survivable or not. Even with current high-power computers, actual crash tests are still conducted for they offer aspects of a crash that cannot all be factored by computers which rely on input. Real crash shows the way an actual human-like body would bounce around giving designers better insight on how to design their cars better.
The results of these crash tests have saved millions of lives with better designs and innovations such as crumple zones that absorb the impact of the crash from reaching the passengers of the vehicles. The reinforcement of the safety cage is also another design result from test crashes wherein a vehicle is constructed in a way to maximize the survival of it’s passengers by maintaining a survivable space in the cab where they are located.
Recent accidents that have involved obese people which are not factored into crash tests due to their falling out of the normal range in terms of body mass and structure resulting in fatal crashes. Auto manufacturers have been forced to reconsider their needs and thus have added a couple of obese dummies in their quest o satisfy all their customers. Obesity is a rising problem in the US and elsewhere with many getting well out of the standard data sets of body size, height and weight proportions crash test dummies were usually designed to, factoring them in allows manufacturers and designers to make their vehicles safe for all people from all walks of life.
Honda, one of the pioneers of the Japanese automotive Industry is beginning testing of its Advanced Safety Vehicles with Driving Safety Support Systems installed. The move is said to be a revolution in driving safety as we have previously discussed in some previous posts. The technology involves several information gathering systems which share information with other vehicles and the road systems themselves transforming the highways into a true information superhighway. Vehicles share information with other vehicles regarding positional data, and road conditions to avoid accidents. The road systems are then transformed into smart roads with sensors that check for road conditions congestion and can even share video of accidents which will show up on video monitors allowing drivers to stay clear of congested areas.
The Japanese cabinet has approved large scale testing to evaluate the effectivity and to gather information regarding the feasibility of such information systems to be implemented on the roads of Japan. The system uses radio transmissions from other vehicles which have transceivers installed onto them to allow evaluation of the best possible range for the system to become effective. It also has augmented safety systems such as automatic brakes which can take control of the braking system if the driver misjudges another vehicle in front of it. Smart assist systems such as the self-parking cars from Europe have been in the market for quite sometime. US vehicles even have satellite tracking and assistance where a locked door can be unlocked through a mouse click from a security assistance office thousands of miles away. These safety technologies would then filter out into the rest of the automotive industry making driving safer and more relaxed allowing you to enjoy the roads without getting stuck in traffic or unknowingly hitting another driver at a blind corner.
The recent outcry of scientists regarding the sudden increase of pollutants due to ‘green’ fuel production due to the effects of high oil prices which translates into high gasoline costs. The effect of the oil’s sudden increased price has gasoline going up from less than two dollars to almost four at the pumps. The shift to more environmentally friendly options such as ethanol and Nuclear power has many worried about their environmental impacts which are almost comparable if not more than oil-based fuels.
Ethanol plants eat up a lot of energy which they take of the grid before they can invest in enough equipment to become self-contained and make their own power. The EPA has singled out ethanol plants as one of the highest polluters around for they produce pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (which is responsible for acid rain, respiratory and heart problems), nitrogen dioxide (which contributes more to global warming) and volatile organic compounds which have the ability to cause cancer. All these pollutants would increase if there was a sudden shift into widespread production without necessary pollution control methods. Such is the impact of grain production on the environment such as the sudden increase of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico which is attributed to increased nitrogen in the water from corn plantations.
More study needs to be done to allow the reality of a clean and green fuel source that would alleviate our dependency on oil and it’s by-products for as the supply dwindles prices will continue to go up. Responsible business is the key and they should on themselves, place the environment before their profits with enough drive and pressure from the public regarding their activities which will hopefully allow this earth to recover from damage already done in the short time we have been here. Nature has created a wonderful and naturally sustainable environment which man has managed to sometimes irreversibly destroy in a couple of decades.
In the past post, dangers of dangerous devices like airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners were discussed by rescue people as one of the new dangers associated with operations they are conducting everyday. Another of the new hazards that have sprung out of alternative fuel vehicles like electrically powered vehicles is acid burns which could make rescue more hazardous if this high-capacity, multi-celled batteries were to burst. The acids they contain are very much dangerous to living tissue and their design as high capacity high output makes it more dangerous due to hazardous current adding to the caustic nature of their contents.
Disarming safety systems like airbags and pre-tensioners requires rescue people to disconnect the terminal of the vehicle’s battery to discharge the system. But even after disconnecting them, the rescuers have to wait at least 15 to 20 seconds for the control circuits to totally discharge and loose their ability to accidentally trigger either device harming anybody in the way. These safety systems have a fail-safe system wherein they have power supplies that have either rechargeable batteries or large capacity capacitors built into them to allow protection even if the battery is disconnected or goes flat. That time takes a huge chunk off the precious 15 minutes it is said to be the most critical stage of a rescue, from the accident area to the hospital. Another danger comes from gas fueled cars which have gasses that are heavier than air which can pool on the bottom of a damaged vehicle if it is punctured yet leaks only enough avoiding a catastrophic explosion. The high pressure storage systems which is made up of tanks and other regulators that allows safe handling can also leak in the event of a crash that can be ignited by a spark from unsuspecting rescuers.
All the above alternative fuelled vehicles are designed with safety in front of all other things yet they might be too complicated for the rescue people to handle safely. Some specialized personnel who are trained in dealing with Hazardous Materials (Airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, electric and gas powered vehicles have components that are considered to be highly toxic) should be within units, with tools like a laptop pre-loaded with information on how to instruct and safely handle these dangerous materials and chemicals should they prove to be a risk to the occupants and the rescue personnel who could both be injured.
There is also a strict control of the manufacture and export of GPS devices and technology from the United States to prevent enemy states from using its own technology against its own military forces. As we all know, the United States Military uses GPS for most Military positioning needs such as with targeting and target acquisition like when they have re-fitted previously dumb-bombs making them into precision guided ones with the addition of GPS referencing electronics. This is one of the primary reasons why the US and many other Western nations criticizing the Chinese for their test of a satellite killing system for it could be used to knock out the 24 GPS satellites that are currently deployed over pre-set geostationary points over the earth. This could disable the communications and targeting systems of most Western nations who rely heavily on GPS.
So don’t go expecting your hand-held GPS receiver to tell you to hit the brakes for you are in front of your destination but rather expect to be within the vicinity of the desired location. The problem is greater when traveling to places where mapping may have been carried out yet not referenced with GPS meaning, no bringing out of the local map and checking it against your GPS device.
Believe it or not, there have been instances of accidents that have been caused by GPS devices giving wrong data getting people into one way streets, going down closed streets and many more. This is a classic case of people relying too much on technology forgetting to take into account common sense, sending them into harm’s way. Remember, technology is there to make the experience easier not to make us rely totally on the said technology in question. Time will come when technology will be so reliable that it may be safer to trust in a microprocessor to do the driving rather than trusting your own reflexes. With sensors all over the vehicle managing the engine, checking the road conditions and controlling the conditions inside the car leaving you to read the morning paper on your tablet Pc as you commute to work. But, that’s for future posts to tackle but do expect them soon for they are in the conceptual stage as hybrid cars were a few years back.
GPS has become common as your car stereo was a few years back, and many take for granted the previously solely-military use only technology. As the technology has come out in many types such as hand-held and built-in types for automobiles, they have also had their fair share of criticism from drivers and people alike. First, these systems only work flawlessly in areas that have been extensively mapped and referenced with proper equipment. Meaning a mean error of around a few meters is to be expected. For something that is hailed to be something that would take the fear out of going to an unknown place with the right directions, it is quite contrary for it’s abilities.
To go deeper into the said or expected error, the main reason being, the technology is still mainly intended for military use only and the only people with the proper equipment to use GPS with pin-point accuracy to within less than a few meters is, guess who, the military. The GPS system used by civilian and government agencies is the same, the difference is in the way they obtain data. Civilian GPS gadgets get signals from at least 2 or three satellites in space which are used for reference (the very best collaborates that information with one ground station and then factors in the positional reading from the two satellites triangulating the current position.
All civilian versions have a built-in error factor which eliminates the use of civilian GPS technology for insurgent or other terrorist activities. The military use more than one satellite for referencing plus cross-referencing with two ground based stations making their positional data more accurate to within a few inches, and they also have sophisticated algorithms that computes the exact target coordinates.
The slowing economy, the increase in jobless people is prompting a re-think of the choices they make when it comes to choosing their next cars according. The ever increasing prices of oil and Gasoline which has hit a high $3.00 per gallon, is getting more and more people to consider getting either flex-fuel capable vehicles or other alternative fueled cars. These hybrids, which are now more common than you think thanks due to mass manufacturing of already, tested brands like the Toyota Prius and many others are gaining ground for they offer better fuel economy and have less impact on the environment. The other alternative fuels in current study and development are Methanol, Ethanol, Hydrogen and even the dirty old diesel engine is getting a second lease at life with people opting to go for them and alternative fueled cars rather than the gas guzzling cars of yesteryears. Diesel engines have been in use for quite some time but mainly in the mass transport industry such as trucking and hauling of freight to and from ports. They have their share of SUV’s and cars but if the current trend in gas prices shows no slowing down, there might be no other choice but to trade in that gas guzzler for a new diesel or alternative powered car.
Diesel is known to be a not so good performer in the environmental side of things but better and improved engine technology which has come out with cleaner, better and more fuel efficient diesel engines but it still has many issues that can be addressed by alternative fuelled cars. These hybrids on the other hand do have downsides such as battery lifecycle and emissions which can be comparable to current gas powered vehicles. They are slowly but surely getting better and they are sure to be seen more and more everyday, as people shift to better, more fuel efficient vehicles. The choice between gas, diesel and alternative fuelled vehicles has always been a choice of trade off’s between economy, environmental impact and other contributory factors. With the price of gas almost tripling in the last 5 years, the shift to cheaper alternatives (or the not so cheaper ones as with alternative fueled cars) in hopes of keeping the regular Joe on the road while maintaining an environmentally acceptable stance all of us should partake in. So it would only be time before we see more electrical charge stations, methanol and other alternative fuels being offered at the nearest gas station you stop at to fuel up.
A project by some of Japan’s leading auto manufacturers led by Mazda are stepping up their studies in making driving a safer way to get from point a o b. The study tackles areas such as blind intersections and winding roads with technology that would allow the oncoming vehicle top communicate with the car you are driving, assisting your from crashing into each other. Parts of the study that have been finished so far are rear view assist systems, radar systems that check for correct distance and assist the driver in applying the brakes even doing it automatically if needed to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of it. The Japanese are known for finding ways of incorporating technology into their vehicles with the ultimate goal being a smart Intelligent Transport System with cars connected to each other using the many wireless technologies available today. The system is to consist of smart vehicles, intelligent roadways and people, all networked to share information for a safer driving experience. The study is currently in it’s fourth phase with the testing and development phases beginning in 2006 and are projected to last till 2010. The current phase is under testing in Nagasaki for the blind collision avoidance system, right turn and rear-end collision avoidance systems is to end by 2008. As these technologies are studied and improved on, they will slowly filter down to the consumers who are of course the primary concern of such studies, minimizing the risks of driving on the roads anywhere on earth. A pre-crash sensor, pioneered by Mazda uses radar to automatically apply the brakes if the detected speed is to fast for comfort is already about to be incorporated into it’s future vehicle releases as a Pre-Crash Safety System to lessen rear-ending the vehicle in front as much as possible. The other players participating in the study are Mitsubishi and Kawasaki who are both part contributors and conducting testing as part of the effort.
Next in line, is technology that is mostly associated with fighter jets rather than cars. Done guessing? Its HUD’s or Head’s Up Display which display’s information onto the windshield eliminating the need, again to turn your head to change the song that is currently being played on the audio system and other car functions such as the current speed. Smarter GPS systems are getting smarter, for as more and more systems go online, so does your car. The LR2 from Land Rover has a GPS navigation system that has the ability to give directions to all the nearest emergency facilities such as hospitals. Along with the many other information such as directions, the nearest restaurant and distance from destination GPS is continuing to become more than a way top track your car and progress but enables the car to become smarter. Some vehicles have rear-view cameras that assists the driver when backing up which is usually the hardest thing to do, especially with large or high vehicles. Voice recognition technology is also finding its way into the auto industry allowing the driver to keep his eyes on the road instead of looking for the volume button or change channel on the audio system. Tied up to all the high tech systems on board, it can be used to control almost anything; the sunroof, cell phone, navigation system and much more. In the US, tire monitoring systems have become mandatory since September 1, 2007 and they have the ability to show the pressure of all four tires. Some models also have smart air pressure systems that automatically add or bleed air to maintain equal pressures as needed.
Even the lowly automotive crash test dummy had to be adapted to consider the rising number of obese people from all over the world. These human-like substitutes took the place of real people when the tests began to involve lethal forces that would have surely cut short the life of any volunteer (they actually used real people to test the effectivity of seatbelts when they were invented in real crashes). The newest versions of these unsung heroes of the automotive industry have thousands of sensors embedded within them to monitor all aspects of a crash to see whether an impact is survivable or not. Even with current high-power computers, actual crash tests are still conducted for they offer aspects of a crash that cannot all be factored by computers which rely on input. Real crash shows the way an actual human-like body would bounce around giving designers better insight on how to design their cars better.
