Archive for Technology

The 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge is a 130 mile desert course – while this might seem mild compared to the Baja 1000 or other similiar off-road courses, what makes the DARPA Grand Challenge special is that the racers have to complete the course entirely without human control. That’s right – robots.

There’s a whole load of videos over at The Great Robot Race’s website, but there is one participant that stands out from the rest. Out of 12 participants which consisted of all-wheel drive machines, there was only one two-wheeler – the Ghostrider from Blue Team, which is a computer controlled motorcycle.

Using an array of sensors, high speed high resolution 3D-capable cameras and a gyro to help maintain balance, the Ghostrider navigated the DARPA Grand Challenge course using GPS. Watch a video of the Ghostrider after the jump, and the rest of the participants over at The Great Robot Race.

Click here to read the rest of Ghostrider: the robotic motorcycle

Fiat Group Automobiles has announced that they will unveil its first dual-clutch gearbox in September 2009. The gearbox will be designed and built by Fiat Powertrain Technologies at an investment of 500 million euros. The new gearbox called the DDC will be able to handle up to 343Nm of torque. The dual clutch transmission is one of three transmission variants in the C635 family. The other two will be a manual and a single clutch automated manual.

The new dual clutch Fiat Powertrain Technologies C635 gearbox will use two dry clutches (DDC means Dual Dry Clutch) which are lighter and require less cooling than wet clutches, but there is no indication at the moment how many speeds the gearbox would have, though 6-speed is the most likely since the C635 family will feature a manual as well, and I don’t think a 7-speed manual is very common,

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General Motors is planning a new series of small turbocharged Ecotec engines, similiar to Volkswagen’s TSI and Fiat’s T-JET series. First in the line up will be a 1.4 liter turbocharged gasoline engine. This engine could be tuned to produce power outputs ranging from equivalent to a normally aspirated 1.6 or even up to a normally aspirated 2.0 liter unit, just like Volkswagen has its 1.4 liter TSI in three stages of tune with two different types of forced induction systems. The 1.4 liter turbocharged GM engine is currently destined for American small cars, but it could slowly find its way into the engine bays of GM’s other cars too, like the Chevrolet Aveo and the Chevrolet Optra sold in Malaysia.

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Here is the full scoop on the new seven speed dual clutch transmission to debut in the BMW M3. Instead of M DCT as previously speculated, the transmission will be called the BMW M DKG instead, presumably meaning the same in German.

A BMW M3 with a 6-speed manual goes from 0 to 100kmh in 4.8 seconds, but with the new M DKG dual clutch transmission, shift time is shaved off by 0.2 seconds to 4.6 seconds. As with most twin clutch transmissions, you have the odd gears on one shaft and the even gears on the other, and upshifts are instantaneous because the next gear is pre-selected. The M DKG is a wet clutch system.

Drivelogic allows 11 different shift patterns – 5 automatic and 6 manual. There is also a separate Low Speed Assistant mode which allows the M DKG transmission to be smoother during slow maneuvering at speeds of less than 5km/h – parking your car for instance. It increases the smoothless and degree of accelerator control achievable by the driver. On the Volkswagen DSG, the throttle is actually way too snappy for you to park your car comfortably. This is because of the nature of the gearbox, essentially robotically controlled clutches,

Of course, manual shifting is available either by pushing and pulling the gear knob, or via paddle shifts on the steering.

Related Posts:
BMW M DCT to debut at Geneva 2008?
BMW M DCT: BMW’s new twin clutch gearbox

Latest Update: BMW M DKG – dual clutch transmission for the BMW M3!

BMW has unveiled the new BMW M3 Convertible at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show, but coverage on that will come right after. Now we’ll have a look at some more details on the long-awaited BMW M DCT, BMW’s first twin clutch gearbox!

The new BMW M DCT twin clutch gearbox, like other twin clutch transmissions, will allow gear changes with very minimal interruption of power. It features Drivelogic, with 11 electronically controlled driving programs – 6 manual and 5 automatic. Each program is tailored to different scenarios.

A BMW M3 Convertible with the M DCT goes from 0 to 100km/h faster than one equipped with a manual transmission – 5.1 seconds versus 5.3 seconds. The M DCT’s 7-speeds means one extra ratio over the manual box.

Expect the next generation BMW M5 and BMW M6 to feature this new Getrag-sourced M DCT transmission too. BMW’s SMG3 gearbox will be phased out with the advent of this more advanced gearbox.

Related Posts:
BMW M DCT: BMW’s new twin clutch gearbox

Volvo joins the ranks of car manufacturers with twin clutch gearboxes, made extremely popular by Volkswagen with their BorgWarner DSG. Volvo’s twin clutch transmission is a 6-speed unit called Powershift.

Powershift is a wet clutch gearbox, with one clutch for the odd gears and reverse gear, while the other clutch handles the even gears. Like other twin clutch systems, the next gear is preselected so upshifts can be done nearly instantly, giving a continuous flow of power without disruption because of gear changes.

The first production Volvo cars to be fitted with the Powershift transmission will be the 136hp, 320Nm 4-cylinder turbodiesel variants of the Volvo C30, S40 and V50.

Typically in-car GPS navigation systems have been limited to showing instructions on a centrally mounted LCD display, and most modern systems also have voice navigation. Some car companies like BMW have started to display GPS navigation instructions on a heads-up display.

An American company called Making Virtual Solid LLC has another idea. It’s called a Virtual Cable(TM) display. It projects a 3D red virtual cable onto your field of vision, and to get to your destination all you have to do is follow the the cable. You will find some videos of how this looks like after the jump, but MVS LLC says in reality the cable is much more realistic – there’s just so much a two dimensional video can show you.

More information on the Virtual Cable(TM) is available by visiting MVS’s website. You can view three demonstration videos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of MVS Virtual Cable(TM) Display

Guy Negre was a Formula One motor racing engineer. The Frenchman has been looking for 15 years for backers for his invention – a car that runs on air – and he now has the backing of Tata, who have invested 20 million Euros in his project.

Negre’s car uses compressed air to move pistons, which in turn also helps compress the air again in a reservoir. The car also has an electric motor, which also compresses air. This electric motor uses batteries that need to be charged. The compressed air can also be filled up at service stations in a matter of minutes.

His company Motor Development International based in France has developed an entire series of engine and car prototypes, some of which include fuel engine options together with the compressed air system. The fuel engine is used to extend the car’s range when not in reach of a special power point or a service station.

The car will be built in India and pre-production will start this year. It is protected by 50 patents, and the car will cost between 3,500 to 4,000 euros (RM17,000 to RM19,400). It weighs not more than 330kg and goes up to a top speed of 150km/h. Projected range is about between 160 to 320 km, depending on traffic conditions.

“It is clear that with oil at $100 a barrel this will force people to change their use of fuel and pollute less. My car is zero pollution in town and almost no pollution on the highways,” said Negre.

Look after the jump for a video on how the engine works.

Click here to read the rest of Tata invests in car powered by compressed air

The brand name TwinForce has been dropped for a new name called EcoBoost, which encompasses a far wider range of engines than just the twin turbocharged V6 we knew as the TwinForce. (click image to enlarge)

The EcoBoost family includes inline-4 and V6 engines. It uses a combination of direct injection and turbocharging to improve fuel efficiency. Ford group vice president of Global Product Development says customers can expect to recoup their initial investment in a 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine through fuel savings in approximately 30 months. A diesel will take an average of seven and one-half years, while the cost of a hybrid will take nearly 12 years to recoup. This is based on costs in the US.

The first EcoBoost product will be introduced in the Lincoln MKS, and this will be the 3.5 liter twin turbocharged V6 unveiled earlier. The force inducted V6 produces the same amount of power as a V8 engine, but it has a much nicer torque curve – 461Nm of torque from 2,000rpm to 5,000rpm, compared to a normally aspirated 4.6 liter V8 that only makes between 366Nm to 420Nm over the same rev range.

Ford picked the EcoBoost brand over TwinForce because the primary use of the technology is for fuel economy and emissions. It was worried consumers would associate the brand TwinForce with power instead.

Watch an animation of the EcoBoost turbocharger after the jump.

Related Posts:
Ford’s new TwinForce engines to debut in Lincoln MKS

Click here to read the rest of Ford’s turbocharged direct injection EcoBoost

Being known as one of the pioneers in vehicle safety, Volvo has been constantly researching new ways to make motoring safer. Volvo has brought us technologies like the Blind Spot Information System that we have in the fully imported second generation 3.2 liter Volvo S80. Here are a few new vehicle safety technologies that Volvo is showcasing:

Volvo Collision Warning with Auto Brake

The Collision Warning with Auto Brake system helps the driver “see” people. It uses radar with a wide angel search area to detect objects in front of and around the car. If an object – say, a pedestrian – is detected, a red warning light will first come up on the car’s HUD, and a warning system will sound.

If the driver does not react to this, assisted panic braking is activated to help the driver when he slams on the brakes. If the driver somehow does not brake, the car activates the brakes automatically as a last resort – but only by 24km/h.

Volvo Collision Avoidance by Auto Steering

Collision Avoidance by Auto Steering is an advanced version of Lane Departure Warning, in which the latter uses a camera to monitor the position of the car in relative to lane markers.

This new system takes it further by using both a camera and radar to monitor the position of the car itself and oncoming traffic. If the car moves into a wrong lane and there is an oncoming object detected, the car automatically steers itself back into the original lane,

Vehicle to Vehicle Communication

Volvo is also testing out inter-vehicle communication – for example one car can receive information from another car further down the road and inform them of an obstacle in the middle of the road that has caused the driver to slam on the brakes and come to a halt. With this information, the other cars coming up the road can be warned before hand.

“With communication between vehicles, and between vehicles and the traffic environment, a large number of todays accidents could be avoided. The major challenges are to find a standard “language” and the particular applications that are most urgent and effective,” says Jonas Ekmark, Manager for Preventive Safety at Volvo Cars Safety Centre.

BorgWarner has developed a new integrated 2-stage turbocharger called the R2S system, which uses two differently sized turbochargers in a sequential arrangement.

The smaller of the two turbochargers is a smaller conventional unit that provides quick boost response at low engine speeds, while the larger turbocharger is of the Variable Turbine Geometry type, which uses variable vanes to suit a wider range of engine operating states.

The first mass production petrol car that used VTG turbocharging was the 997 Porsche 911 Turbo, which also used BorgWarner turbochargers.

The first application of this new R2S turbocharger is the Ford PowerStroke 6.4 liter V8 diesel engine, which will go into the F-series of heavy duty pickups – the F250, F350, F450 and F550. The same engine will also be used by Navistar International, which will use the engine under the MaxForce7 brand in its light trucks.

BorgWarner is now in final stages of developing a new dual-clutch transmission targetted at small fuel efficient economical cars, especially for use in developing markets like China, India and South East Asia. The new dual clutch transmission has significantly reduced complexity, thus reducing cost.

“Drivers in developing markets like China and India are looking for the ease of using an automatic transmission in an affordable vehicle. Up until now, the complexity and cost of automatic transmissions made it impractical to package this option in smaller cars. With BorgWarner’s new design, we can deliver the responsive, fuel-efficient, fun-to drive characteristics of a dual-clutch transmission in a smaller, more affordable package. The unique architecture of our compact dual-clutch transmission is expected to expand the use of automatic transmissions in emerging markets. Test results with this transmission indicate a 13% fuel efficiency improvement, better top-end speed and a significant improvement in acceleration over automatic transmissions currently in production,” says Dr. Bernd Matthes, President and General Manager of BorgWarner Transmission Systems.

A production implementation of this new dual clutch transmission is expected to be seen in 2 to 3 years time.

Related Posts:
Volkswagen DSG – direct shift gearbox
Volkswagen announces new 7-speed DSG
Volkswagen phases out automatics to make way for DSG
New 122hp turbocharged 1.4 liter and 7-speed DSG from Volkswagen

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Click to enlarge

During the Honda media trip to Japan for the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, we also got to visit Honda’s Tochigi R&D Center where we got to see all kinds of interesting and embargoed things, heheh. But one of the experiences we had at Tochigi that I am allowed to write about at this time is my driving experience with both the current generation 3-door Honda FCX and the new Honda FCX Concept.

Read more on my experience with these fuel cell vehicles after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of The New Honda FCX Concept Driving Experience

It’s been 40 years since Mazda introduced the first rotary engine in the Mazda Cosmo Sport in 1967. This year, Mazda puts another marker on the history of the Mazda rotary engine with the RENESIS 16X, the successor to the 13B-MSP in the Mazda RX8.

The new 16X rotary engine uses new trochoid-shaped chambers aimed at improving thermal efficiency and increasing torque across all engine speeds. Mazda has been continuously researching the best shape for the trochoid chambers ever since the first 10A rotary in 1967, followed by the 13A, 12A and now the 13B.

The new trochoid chamber has had its rotor housing width and thickness reduced while the trochoid outline has been increased, resulting in a displacement increase to 800cc per rotor – this means a 1.6 liter displacement as the engine’s 16X name indicates. This is despite exterior dimensions of the engine being about the same as the current 13B.

The trochoid shape has had its radius and eccentricity increased. Stroke has also been increased, this means better torque. Due to the change in shape, not only is an increase in displacement achieved but the surface area-to-volume ratio of the combustion chamber is reduced, enabling a reduction in cooling losses. Flame growth is also promoted. The engine uses side housings made of aluminium, and this together with other weight reduction methods make the new 16X lighter than the 13B.

The 16X rotary engine is also the first gasoline rotary engine to use direct injection. This was developed from the hyrogen injection system used in the hydrogen rotary engine. Gasoline is injected via a high pressure spray during the intake cycle. This spray also tends to reduce fuel adhesion to the chamber wall, promoting a more homogenous air-fuel mixture. This results in better torque and thermal efficiency. Power and fuel economy is expected to be 20% better than the technologies in the 13B can achieve.

A concept version of this engine is installed in the Mazda Taiki Concept, and in that car it drives the rear wheels through a 7-speed dry twin clutch gearbox.

The hot gasses that are pumped into an airbag when it inflates can cause some serious injury in certain cases, as a poor 34 year old lady in Melbourne discovered.

She sustained deep dermal second degree burns from the gases when her airbag inflated on impact. These gases that escape from the airbag as it deflates after deployment can be as hot as 500 degrees Celcius. These burns take a long time to heal and risk scarring.

The lady is not alone – Dr Vivek Kumar Sinha and Dr Kirstie MacGill from Melbourne’s Box Hill Hospital says there have been a few reports of similiar airbag burns in Australia in the recent years.

“The driver remembers the airbag being deployed before noticing white powder and smoke emanating from it. It was only later that she realised she had received a burn injury to her right hand and was puzzled as to how that had happened. It was painful, became red and swollen, and later blistered,” said Dr MacGill.

“Airbags have also been linked to abrasions, lacerations, contusions, upper limb fractures and damage to the throat, eyes and ears (the sound of an airbag deploying is very loud – can be 165 to 175 dB) though these injuries were not the result of an airbag malfunction but its intrinsic design. Certainly injuries such as burns are a small price to pay for the greater safety provided by airbags during a collision. However, with the increasing use of airbags today, this case report points towards the need for more research into possibly modifying the design of airbags with the aim of decreasing these injuries,” added Dr Sinha and Dr MacGill in an Emergency Medicine Australasia report.

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