Search Results (17)

This study presents the development of an open-source Driver-in-the-Loop simulation platform, specifically designed to test and analyze advanced automated driving functions. We emphasize the creation of a versatile system architecture that ensures seamless integration and interchangeability of components, supporting diverse research needs. Central to the simulator’s configuration is a hexapod motion platform with six degrees of freedom, chosen through a detailed benchmarking process to ensure dynamic accuracy and fidelity. The simulator employs a half-vehicle cabin, providing an immersive environment where drivers can interact with authentic human–machine interfaces such as pedals, steering, and gear shifters. By projecting complex driving scenarios onto a curved screen, drivers engage with critical maneuvers in a controlled virtual environment. Key innovations include the integration of a motion cueing algorithm and an adaptable, cost-effective open-source framework, facilitating collaboration among researchers and industry experts. The platform enables standardized testing and offers a robust solution for the iterative development and validation of automated driving technologies. Functionality and effectiveness were validated through testing with the ISO lane change maneuver, affirming the simulator’s capabilities. Full article

In this study, a multi-objective shape optimization framework was established for photovoltaic-powered underwater vehicles (PUVs) to systematically investigate multidisciplinary coupled design methodologies. Specifically, a global sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify four critical design parameters with 24 h energy consumption and cabin volume serving as dual optimization objectives. An integrated automated optimization workflow was constructed by incorporating parametric modeling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and dynamic surrogate models. Additionally, a new phased hybrid adaptive lower confidence bound (PHA-LCB) infill criterion was designed under the consideration of error-driven mechanisms, improvement feedback loops, and iterative attenuation factors to develop high-precision dynamic surrogate models. Coupled with the NSGA-II multi-objective genetic algorithm, this framework generated Pareto-optimal front solutions possessing significant engineering value. Furthermore, an optimal design configuration was ultimately determined through multi-criteria decision analysis. Compared to the initial form, it generates an additional 1148.12 Wh of electrical energy within 24 h, with an 22.36% increase in sailing range and a 2.77% improvement in cabin volume capacity. The proposed closed-loop “modeling–simulation–optimization” framework realized multi-objective optimization of PUV shape parameters, providing methodological paradigms and technical foundations for the engineering design of next-generation autonomous underwater vehicles. Full article

Ensuring operational safety within high-risk environments, such as construction sites, is paramount, especially for tower crane operations where distractions can lead to severe accidents. Despite existing behavioral monitoring approaches, the task of identifying small yet hazardous objects like mobile phones and cigarettes in real time remains a significant challenge in ensuring operator compliance and site safety. Traditional object detection models often fall short in crane operator cabins due to complex lighting conditions, cluttered backgrounds, and the small physical scale of target objects. To address these challenges, we introduce YOLO-TC, a refined object detection model tailored specifically for tower crane monitoring applications. Built upon the robust YOLOv7 architecture, our model integrates a novel channel–spatial attention mechanism, ECA-CBAM, into the backbone network, enhancing feature extraction without an increase in parameter count. Additionally, we propose the HA-PANet architecture to achieve progressive feature fusion, addressing scale disparities and prioritizing small object detection while reducing noise from unrelated objects. To improve bounding box regression, the MPDIoU Loss function is employed, resulting in superior accuracy for small, critical objects in dense environments. The experimental results on both the PASCAL VOC benchmark and a custom dataset demonstrate that YOLO-TC outperforms baseline models, showcasing its robustness in identifying high-risk objects under challenging conditions. This model holds significant promise for enhancing automated safety monitoring, potentially reducing occupational hazards by providing a proactive, resilient solution for real-time risk detection in tower crane operations. Full article

The relative rotation angle between two cabins should be automatically and precisely obtained during automated assembly processes for spacecraft and aircraft. This paper introduces a method to solve this problem based on distributed vision, where two groups of cameras are employed to take images of mating features, such as dowel pins and holes, in oblique directions. Then, the relative rotation between the mating flanges of two cabins is calculated. The key point is the registration of the distributed cameras; thus, a simple and practical registration process is designed. It is assumed that there are rigid and scaling transformations among the world coordinate systems (WCS) of each camera. Therefore, the rigid-correct and scaling-correct matrices are adopted to register the cameras. An auxiliary registration device with known features is designed and moved in the cameras’ field of view (FOV) to obtain the matrix parameters so that each camera acquires traces of every feature. The parameters can be solved using a genetic algorithm based on the known geometric relationships between the trajectories on the registration devices. This paper designs a prototype to verify the method. The precision reaches 0.02° in the measuring space of 340 mm. Full article

Striving to increase the speed of rail vehicles and thus improve the comfort of traveling passengers at the same time, undertakes activities in the sphere of ensuring an appropriate level of safety of rail, passenger, and freight transport. One of the elements of activities in this area is the training of train drivers. Until recently, this training consisted of a theoretical and practical part on the vehicle, alongside an experienced train driver. Considering the increasing level of automation of railway traffic control systems and locomotive equipment, as well as training costs and requirements related to the introduction of TSI, it is becoming an increasingly common requirement to conduct practical training on railway vehicle traffic simulators, while the conditions in the simulator cabin and the trainee’s feelings should correspond to the actual driving conditions. A locomotive driving simulator is a system consisting of a cabin of a suitable type of locomotive or EMU, mapped in 1:1 scale, coupled with a motion excitation system and computer programs connected together forming the software of the cab visualization and dynamics system. The basic program simulating the dynamics and kinematics of the cabin’s motion is a program containing a motion dynamics model that generates signals forcing the movement of the exciters on which the cabin’s platform is mounted. The correct operation of the simulation model depends on the created mathematical model, which can be built in several ways. This article presents the issue of building a mathematical model describing the dynamics of the rail vehicle motion, which can then be used in the simulation model of the simulator cabin motion. Two ways of proceeding in the process of approaching the construction of a mathematical model of rail vehicle motion dynamics will be presented, with the possibility of later use in creating a simulation model of the motion of the locomotive simulator cabin. One of the possible routes was used in the past in the construction of the EP09 locomotive simulator. Full article

Reducing cumbersome mechanical control components is one of the trends of modern agricultural machinery towards a high degree of automation. Whether the control components of sugarcane harvesters can gradually be replaced by central control screens, similar to car cabins, is an unresolved question. At the level of human machine interaction, this involves comparing the efficiency between joystick and touch screen control. This paper conducts a simulated experiment to compare and study the efficiency and user experience of joystick and touch screen control in adjusting the topper and base cutter heights of sugarcane harvesters, aiming to provide a reasonable basis for the design of control interfaces in sugarcane harvester cabins. The electromyographic signals, experiment duration, and subjective cognitive evaluations of participants in both the topper and base cutter groups were analyzed. The results showed that the efficiency, learnability, and ease of use of different control methods varied under different operational tasks. For the topper that corresponds to the operating behavior and height transformation in real time, joystick control demonstrated superior ease of use and operational efficiency compared to touch screen control, with weaker learnability. There was no discernible difference in muscle activation levels between the two control methods. Consequently, joystick control is deemed more suitable for the height adjustment of the topper. Regarding the base cutter with non-real-time mapping of operating behavior and height changes, no significant disparity in ease of use and learnability was observed between the two control methods. Touch screen control yielded lower muscle activation levels and garners higher overall subjective cognitive scale ratings. Thus, touch screen control is considered more suitable for base cutter height adjustment. Lastly, the paper proposes the optimal combination of software and hardware for control components in sugarcane harvester cabins, and provides an objective and multidimensional experimental analysis method for future research on similar human machine interaction interfaces. Full article

With increasing automation in the rail sector, the train driver’s task changes from full control to a supervisory position. This bears the risk of monotony and subsequent changes in visual attention, possibly for the worse. Similar to concepts in car driving, one solution for this could be driver state monitoring with triggered interventions in case of declining task attention. Previous research on train drivers’ visual attention has used eye tracking. In contrast, head tracking is easier to realize within the train driver cabin. This study set out to test whether head tracking is a feasible alternative to eye tracking and can provide similar findings. Based on previous eye-tracking research, we compared differences in head movements in automated vs. manual driving, and for different levels of driving speed and driving experience. We conducted a study with 25 active train drivers in a high-fidelity train simulator. Statistical analyses revealed no significant difference in the vertical head movements between automation levels. There was a significant difference in the horizontal head movements, with train drivers looking more to the right for manual driving. We found no significant influence of driving speed and experience on head movements. Safety implications and the feasibility of head tracking as an alternative to eye tracking are discussed. Full article

Product oil tankers are essential transportation equipment for petroleum transfer. Due to petroleum products’ intense penetration and solubility, the quality requirements for coating product oil tankers are high, and regular maintenance is needed. Currently, this relies on manual labor, which involves working in enclosed spaces with harsh conditions, high labor intensity, long working time periods, and unstable quality. We proposed a lightweight, rigid–flexible robotic system using a cable-driven parallel robot with a serial framework-type manipulator arm to address this with conceptual design and dimensional analysis. Based on the kinematic and static modeling, we analyzed the workspace of the cable-driven parallel robot. Considering the interference issues under different robot poses, we analyzed the dimensions of the framework-type manipulator arm and the terminal reachability of the rigid–flexible robotic system. The results show that the proposed rigid–flexible robot can cover all areas to be coated, providing a new automated solution for the specialized coating of product oil tanker cabins. Full article

Electrochromic (EC) windows on glass for thermal and glare protection in buildings, often referred to as smart (dimmable) windows, are commercially available, along with rearview mirrors or windows in aircraft cabins. Plastic-based applications, such as ski goggles, visors and car windows, that require lightweight, three-dimensional (3D) geometry and high-throughput manufacturing are still under development. To produce such EC devices (ECDs), a flexible EC film could be integrated into a back injection molding process, where the films are processed into compact 3D geometries in a single automized step at a low processing time. Polycarbonate (PC) as a substrate is a lightweight and robust alternative to glass due to its outstanding optical and mechanical properties. In this study, an EC film on a PC substrate was fabricated and characterized for the first time. To achieve a highly transmissive and colorless bright state, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) was used as the working electrode, while titanium dioxide (TiO₂) was used as the counter electrode material. They were deposited onto ITO-coated PC films using dip- and slot-die coating, respectively. The electrodes were optically and electrochemically characterized. An ECD with a polyurethane containing gel electrolyte was investigated with regard to optical properties, switching speed and cycling behavior. The ECD exhibits a color-neutral and highly transmissive bright state with a visible light transmittance of 74% and a bluish-colored state of 64%, a fast switching speed (7 s/4 s for bleaching/coloring) and a moderately stable cycling behavior over 500 cycles with a decrease in transmittance change from 10%to 7%. Full article

Heterogeneous test processes concerning test goals and test script languages are an integral part of mechatronic systems development in supply chains. Here, test cases are written in a multitude of different test script languages. The translation between test script languages is possible, a joint understanding and a holistic view of the mechatronic system as a system under test is only achieved in the minds of experienced test engineers. This joined-up information is called test knowledge and is the key input for test automation and in turn, it is essential for reducing the cost of product development. Persisted test knowledge enables the search for patterns semi-automatically without reading countless test cases and enables the auto-completion of essential parts of test cases. In this paper, we developed a knowledge graph that aggregates all the test knowledge automatically and integrates it into the test processes. We derived an explorative search that simplifies the test case creation. For that purpose, a corresponding user-friendly query language, and unidirectional translation capabilities were developed that translates a test case into a graph tailored to the target audience of test engineers. We demonstrated the usage and impact of this approach by evaluating it on test cases from aircraft cabin doors. Full article

Inflight catering services are crucial for air travel. Airlines provide food and beverages to the passengers during the flight with different options depending on, e.g., the flying class, distance, and type of service. Our contribution outlines previous efforts to optimise the inflight catering processes and highlights the possibilities to individualise the current services. Individualisation is a growing trend and may challenge the processes that are possibly not wholly prepared to deliver a customised meal for each passenger onboard the aircraft. We present our passenger survey which confirms the demand for the individualisation of inflight meals; we explored which dimensions can be supported by incorporating automation. We performed an analysis of the current inflight catering process for developing automation concepts. Subsequently, an automation concept for the individualisation of inflight meals through pre-ordering is introduced, followed by an evaluation scenario. Within the evaluation, it was possible to consider the feasibility of the individualisation of inflight catering meals and to deliver requirements for the further development of automated services. Full article

This work describes the development of a controlled cabin for capturing and analyzing thermal images. The motivation of such a device is to aid in the thermal image acquisition process within a confined space. The thermograms generated provide helpful information for analyzing the residual human limb in subjects with transtibial amputation. Such a study proposes a non-intrusive method to study the thermal activity on the amputee residual limb and seek a correlation to the quality of the socket. The proposed cabin ensures the repeatability of the thermograms acquisition process and provides an isolated workspace, thus improving the quality of the samples. The methodology consists of the design of the mechanical elements and parts of the system on computer-aided design software, the electronic instrumentation, a graphic user interface, and the control algorithm based on a barrier Lyapunov function to solve the trajectory tracking for the camera movements, and numerical simulations to illustrate the functionality and the manufacture of a prototype. The results obtained by implementing the control design on the automated cabin reveal that the thermal image acquisition process is completed following the desired trajectory with a mean squared tracking error of 0.0052. In addition, an example of the thermal images of two subjects and the results processing this class of pictures using the designed interface is shown. Full article

Efficiency and reliable turnaround time are core features of modern aircraft transportation and key to its future sustainability. Given the connected aircraft cabin, the deployment of digitized and interconnected sensors, devices and passengers provides comprehensive state detection within the cabin. More specifically, passenger localization and occupancy detection can be monitored using location-aware communication systems, also known as wireless sensor networks. These multi-purpose communication systems serve a variety of capabilities, ranging from passenger convenience communication services, over crew member devices, to maintenance planning. In addition, radio-based sensing enables an efficient sensory basis for state monitoring; e.g., passive seat occupancy detection. Within the scope of the connected aircraft cabin, this article presents a multipath-assisted radio sensing (MARS) approach using the propagation information of transmitted signals, which are provided by the channel impulse response (CIR) of the wireless communication channel. By performing a geometrical mapping of the CIR, reflection sources are revealed, and the occupancy state can be derived. For this task, both probabilistic filtering and k-nearest neighbor classification are discussed. In order to evaluate the proposed methods, passenger occupancy detection and state detection for the future automation of passenger safety announcements and checks are addressed. Therefore, experimental measurements are performed using commercially available wideband communication devices, both in close to ideal conditions in an RF anechoic chamber and a cabin seat mockup. In both environments, a reliable radio sensing state detection was achieved. In conclusion, this paper provides a basis for the future integration of energy and spectrally efficient joint communication and sensing radio systems within the connected aircraft cabin. Full article

This paper provides an overview of Human Machine Interface (HMI) design and command systems in commercial or experimental operation across transport modes. It presents and comments on different HMIs from the perspective of vehicle automation equipment and simulators of different application domains. Considering the fields of cognition and automation, this investigation highlights human factors and the experiences of different industries according to industrial and literature reviews. Moreover, to better focus the objectives and extend the investigated industrial panorama, the analysis covers the most effective simulators in operation across various transport modes for the training of operators as well as research in the fields of safety and ergonomics. Special focus is given to new technologies that are potentially applicable in future train cabins, e.g., visual displays and haptic-shared controls. Finally, a synthesis of human factors and their limits regarding support for monitoring or driving assistance is proposed. Full article

To accomplish the current climate goals of the federal republic of Germany, energy efficiency within the building and automotive sector must improve considerably. One possible way to reduce the high amount of energy required for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) is the introduction of personal climatization systems in combination with the extension of the standardized room air temperature range. Personal systems allow improvements of climatic conditions (heating, cooling, and air quality) within sub-areas of the room instead of conditioning an entire room air volume. In this regard, personal systems are perfectly suitable for locations with local air-conditioning focal points, such as open-plan offices and vehicle cabins, where they substantially improve the energy efficiency of the entire system. This work aims to summarize previously conducted research in the area of personal climatization systems. The investigated local thermal actuators comprise fans for the generation of air movement, ventilators for the improvement of the air quality within the respiratory area of persons, water-conditioned panels for the climatization of persons via longwave radiation and conduction, radiant heaters, and combinations of the systems. Personal systems are superior to mixing ventilation regarding the improvement of the perceived air quality and thermal comfort. Furthermore, the introduced overview shows that personal climatization systems are generally more energy-efficient than conventional air-conditioning and facilitates the extension of the indoor air temperature corridor of the HVAC. Table fans and climatized seats are highly effective in connection with the improvement of personal thermal comfort. The performance of the overwhelming majority of applied personal environmental control systems is user-controlled or depends on a predefined load profile, which is generally defined person independent. Single studies reveal that effectively controlled automated systems have a similar thermal impact on a user’s thermal comfort as user-controlled ones. The implementation of an automated control system is feasible by using novel approaches such as the so-called human-centered closed loop control-platform (HCCLC-platform). The latter contains a central data server which allows asynchronous, bi-directional communication between multi-modal sensor data, user feedback systems, thermal actuators and numerical calculation models used to assess the individual thermal comfort of a person. This enables a continuous and holistic reflection of the thermal situation inside a room and the estimation of the corresponding impact on an individual’s thermal comfort. Considering the measured and simulated thermal state of a single person, the described system is capable of determining body-part-specific energy requirements that are needed to keep the overall thermal comfort level of an individual person on a high level. Full article