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Two major design trends, the push to provide more exotic human-machine interfaces and the march towards autonomous driving, are sparking interest in cameras not now used in vehicles. Time-of-flight cameras provide gesture recognition for HMIs and tell autonomous controllers whether drivers are watching the road with their hands on the wheel.

We huddled in a tight circle by the finish line, frantically waiting for radio updates on the progress of our team’s rider, Rob “Bullet” Barber, who was miles in the distance and closing fast. Our 11-person team of student engineers and support crew from The Ohio State University could hardly breathe as we got the report: Barber was battling for third place—a podium finish—in the TT Zero class for electric racing motorcycles at the 2014 Isle of Man TT. Barber was aboard our latest race bike, the RW-2.X, designed and built by the OSU College of Engineering team, known as Buckeye Current. We’d brought it over 3600 mi (5700 km) to the Isle of Man, the iconic road-racing mecca in the middle of the Irish Sea. We aimed to prove our engineering and technology against the best electric bikes on the fast and treacherous public road—37.75-mi (60.75 km) per lap—that is the world’s most unforgiving race circuit. Finally came a rider, tucked in tight behind the fairing.

The WSU team found an edge over the competing designs by employing liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage to maximize station capacity and reduce capital and operating costs. Delivering hydrogen in liquid form reduces the energy used for distribution, and 80-90% of small-merchant hydrogen is delivered via cryogenic liquid tanker truck.

The relationship between consumer electronics and automotive infotainment systems is intensifying as smart phone operating systems become a factor in development strategies.

In this Ford Motor Co. research project, the driver instructs a plug-in hybrid electric car when to operate in electric-only mode before starting the vehicle.

Product engineering projects are always circular. As new versions evolve, data that comes back to design teams is incorporated into the next iteration. Panelists at the upcoming Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress will explore this cycle in a panel entitled “Math to Lab to Road.”

During the transition from a future fully autonomous vehicle to a human controlling the steering wheel and brake pedal in emergency take-overs of vehicle control in complex situations, a distracted driver is bad news.

Wires and cables help design teams add electronic features and functions, but networks and wiring harnesses add a fair amount of weight while their connections can be the cause of failures. That’s prompting developers to examine ways to reduce the size and weight of wires and cables.

As part of the U.S. DOE SuperTruck program that was awarded to Cummins and Peterbilt Motors, a series of investigations was conducted on the aerodynamic ramifications of traffic. One such investigation, carried out by experts from Peterbilt and design software provider Exa Corp., focuses on the impact of traffic conditions on aerodynamic drag for typical tractor-trailer separation distances at typical highway speeds.

BELLOFOAM closed-cell silicone sponge sheeting from Bellofram Silicones is designed to support a variety of industrial, manufacturing, gasketing, insulation, sealing, and padding requirements in automotive, aerospace, factory floor, and industrial environments.

With the recent publishing of four technical reports, SAE International now offers a series of recommended practices designed to enhance overall ambulance safety in several areas, including patient compartments and occupant restraint.