2007: Sharing the Road.
Drawings on Display at Michelin Challenge Design™
Biography:
Chia-Yi Cho was born in Taiwan. He graduated from Huafan University in Taiwan with a degree in Industrial Design. He is currently pursuing a master degree in Transportation Design from Umea University in Sweden with an expected graduation in 2008.
Description:
Overall safety on America’s roads has increased over the last decade. However, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) threaten to reverse the trend. There is increasing evidence that SUVs are not as safe as they appear. Recent studies show that SUVs pose a significant threat to drivers and passengers of other cars on the road. In addition, there are indications that safety problems threaten passengers and drivers of SUVs themselves. This project is to design a SUV with improved safety features to protect the drivers, pedestrians, other drivers and the environment.
Infrared Traffic Incident Detector:
The infrared device is equipped in this vehicle and it can track the position and speed of the vehicle. Therefore, the computer of the vehicle can monitor the position and comparative speed of other vehicles near this vehicle. If the vehicle detects the speed is too fast and that it will hit other vehicles or pedestrians, the airbag will explode to lower the damage. Also, the vehicle receives the concurrent traffic light information front the Global Positioning System. If the driver didn’t slow down before a red light or a stop sign, the vehicle will warn the driver and slow down the vehicle to ensure the road safety.
Horizontal Sensor and Exterior Air bags:
An exterior air bag will be equipped on the top of the vehicle. If an accident happens and the car starts to roll over, the horizontal detectors will detect that the angle of the car and the horizontal is larger than an angle; the exterior airbags will explode to reduce the damage of the car and its passenger.
Variable Height Chassis:
SUV’s are not very safe because of their height and the center of gravity is too high. The solution is to change the height of the vehicle. MSV has a suspension system that can allow the driver to change the height of the vehicle. Or it can switch automatically if the sensor “feels” the territory becoming off-road or on-road through the suspension system. The position of the head lamps also can change from high to low (fog light) or low to high according the height of the vehicle.
Variable Friction Tires:
There are two parts on the tire. The outside part is for general usage. The middle part is for friction-adding usage. When the driver wants to stop the car quickly, the middle part of the tire will start to work and give more friction between the tire and the road. The car’s computer also can adjust the device and give the tire more friction when the driver uses the vehicle in raining or snowing days. It can provide safer driving. The friction of the tire can be switched automatically in emergency condition. The mechanism will start to be active if the driver can’t stop the car in a sudden brake.
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