ScienceDaily: Vehicle News

Supersonic laminar flow tests continue on NASA's F-15B

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:34:34 EDT

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's F-15B Research Testbed aircraft has been busy this spring, flying an experimental test fixture in partnership with Aerion Corporation of Reno, Nevada.

Tests lead to doubling of fuel cell life

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:03:03 EDT

Researchers working to improve durability in fuel cell powered buses have discovered links between electrode degradation processes and bus membrane durability. The team is quantifying the effects of electrode degradation stressors in the operating cycle of the bus on the membrane lifetime.

Passenger car drivers are more likely to die in crashes with SUVs, regardless of crash ratings

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:54:54 EDT

Most consumers who are shopping for a new car depend on good crash safety ratings as an indicator of how well the car will perform in a crash. But a new study of crashes involving cars and sport utility vehicles has found those crash ratings are a lot less relevant than vehicle type.

Technique helps robotic vehicles find their way, help humans

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:26:26 EDT

Engineers have developed a technique called LOBOT that provides accurate, real-time, 3-D positions in both indoor and outdoor environments.

New endurance record for small electric unmanned aerial vehicle

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:45:45 EDT

Using liquid hydrogen fuel stored in a new NRL-developed cryogenic fuel storage tank, the flight shatters the previous 26-hour record set by the UAV in 2009.

Charging electric vehicles cheaper and faster

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:16:16 EDT

Researchers have developed a unique integrated motor drive and battery charger for electric vehicles. Compared to today's electric vehicle chargers, they have managed to shorten the charging time from eight to two hours, and to reduce the cost by around $2,000.

Rear seat design: A priority for children's safety in cars

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:46:46 EDT

New report recommends technology, policy changes to better protect older children and adolescents in crashes.

Racing car with electric drive

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:37:37 EDT

Drive technology has an electric future – of this research scientists are in no doubt. Scientists have developed an electric racing car with a novel solution for battery management and electronic sensor systems.

Nothing bugs these NASA aeronautical researchers

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:01:01 EDT

A team of scientists at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia are studying ways to prevent the remains of insect impacts from adhering to the wing of an aircraft in flight. While the effort is undeniably a goldmine for puns, the research is serious and positive results could help NASA's aeronautical innovators achieve their goals for improving the fuel efficiency of aircraft cruising across the country.

FlipperBot: Sea turtles and flipper-driven robot reveal principles of moving on sand and other granular media

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:17:17 EDT

Based on a study of both hatchling sea turtles and "FlipperBot" -- a robot with flippers -- researchers have learned principles for how both robots and turtles move on granular surfaces such as sand.

NASA successfully launches three smartphone satellites

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:29:29 EDT

Three smartphones destined to become low-cost satellites rode to space April 21, 2013 aboard the maiden flight of Orbital Science Corp.'s Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia. The trio of "PhoneSats" is operating in orbit, and may prove to be the lowest-cost satellites ever flown in space. The goal of NASA's PhoneSat mission is to determine whether a consumer-grade smartphone can be used as the main flight avionics of a capable, yet very inexpensive, satellite.

Compact multipurpose scooter for crowded megacities

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:38:38 EDT

Researchers have unveiled an all-new multipurpose scooter prototype, codenamed VOI, at the 3rd Taiwan International Electric Vehicle Show. VOI gets its name from the Vietnamese word for elephant -- a symbol of a safe and intelligent mean of transport. It is a two-wheel concept vehicle.

Understanding the life of lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:39:39 EDT

Scientists have now answered a question that worries millions of owners and potential owners of electric and hybrid vehicles using lithium-ion batteries: How long before the battery pack dies, leaving a sticker-shock bill for a fresh pack or a car ready for the junk heap? Their answer may surprise skeptics.

Overcoming a major barrier to medical and other uses of 'microrockets' and 'micromotors'

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:39:39 EDT

An advance in micromotor technology akin to the invention of cars that fuel themselves from the pavement or air is opening the door to new medical and industrial uses for these tiny devices, scientists say. Their update on development of the motors -- so small that thousands would fit inside this "o" -- was part of a recent conference presentation.

New camera system creates high-resolution 3-D images from up to a kilometer away

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:22:22 EDT

A new camera system provides high-resolution, 3-D information about objects that are typically difficult to image, from up to a kilometer away. The photo-counting depth imaging system is likely to be used for scanning static, human-made targets from afar, such as vehicles. It could also determine their speed and direction, or be used for remote examination of vegetation and the movement of rock faces, to assess potential hazards from as far as 10 km away.

Ionic thrusters generate efficient propulsion in air

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:20:20 EDT

Thrusters powered by ionic wind may be an efficient alternative to conventional atmospheric propulsion technologies. When a current passes between two electrodes -- one thinner than the other -- it creates a wind in the air between. If enough voltage is applied, the resulting wind can produce a thrust without the help of motors or fuel. Researchers have now found that ionic thrusters may be a far more efficient source of propulsion than conventional jet engines.

Large robotic jellyfish could one day patrol oceans

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:48:48 EDT

Researchers have unveiled Cyro, a life-like, autonomous robotic jellyfish the size and weight of a grown man, 5 foot 7 inches in length and weighing 170 pounds.

NASA turns up the heat on construction of the Space Launch System

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:41:41 EDT

Welding engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., have had an extremely busy winter assembling adapters that will connect the Orion spacecraft to a Delta IV rocket for the initial test flight of Orion in 2014. The adapter later will attach Orion to NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), a new heavy-lift rocket managed and in development at the Marshall Center that will enable missions farther into space than ever before. The 2014 Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) will provide engineers with important data about the adapter's performance before it is flown on SLS beginning in 2017.

Ash from refuse could become hydrogen gas

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:35:35 EDT

Every year, millions of tons of environmentally harmful ash is produced worldwide, and is mostly dumped in landfill sites or, in some countries, used as construction material. The ash is what is left when rubbish has been burnt in thermal power stations. A researcher has now developed a technique to use the ash to produce hydrogen gas.

Terradynamics: Technique could help designers predict how legged robots will move on granular surfaces

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:14:14 EDT

Using a combination of theory and experiment, researchers have developed a new approach for understanding and predicting how small legged robots -- and potentially also animals -- move on and interact with complex granular materials such as sand.

Transportation study reveals potential for deep cuts to petroleum use and carbon emissions

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:56:56 EDT

Scientists have completed an assessment of avenues to reach deep cuts in petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector.

Petroleum use, greenhouse gas emissions of automobiles could drop 80 percent by 2050: U.S. report

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:16:16 EDT

A new report finds that by the year 2050, the United States may be able to reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent for light-duty vehicles -- cars and small trucks -- via a combination of more efficient vehicles; the use of alternative fuels like biofuels, electricity, and hydrogen; and strong government policies to overcome high costs and influence consumer choices.

NASA's first laser communication system integrated, ready for launch

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:03:03 EDT

A new NASA-developed, laser-based space communication system will enable higher rates of satellite communications similar in capability to high-speed fiber optic networks on Earth.

Hovering is a bother for bees: Fast flight is more stable

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:06:06 EDT

Bumblebees are much more unstable when they hover than when they fly fast, according to new research. Scientists used a mathematical model to analyze the way bumblebees fly at different speeds, showing that the bumblebee is unstable when it hovers and flies slowly, and becomes neutral or weakly stable at medium and high flight speeds.

Electric car does not interfere with implanted cardiac devices, study finds

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:38:38 EDT

A new study has concluded that patients with implanted cardiac devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators can safely drive or ride in an electric car without risk of electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Robotic fish gain new sense: Navigate water currents and turbulence

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:42:42 EST

Scientists have developed robots with a new sense -- lateral line sensing. All fish have this sensing organ but so far it had no technological counterpart on human-made underwater vehicles.

Sometimes, the rubber meets the road when you don't want it to: Arresting a fleeing vehicle with the push of a button

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:12:12 EST

Back in 2010, the ideas behind a squid's sticky tendrils and Spiderman's super-strong webbing were combined to create a prototype for the first remote device able to stop vehicles in their tracks. It worked, but that technology just got better.

NASA researchers work to turn blue skies green

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:30:30 EST

Air travelers of the future could have quieter, greener and more fuel-efficient airliners because of NASA research efforts that are moving into further development and testing.

Hello car, what is the password?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:35:35 EST

As cars get clever -- bristling with computer chips and networking capabilities -- an EU-funded project makes sure that your car's data stays safe and the networks are secure from hackers and tampering.

Workstation design improvements for drone operators may reduce costs and mishaps, researchers suggest

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:20:20 EST

The US Department of Defense reports that drone accidents in which personnel or aircraft are damaged or destroyed occur 50 times more often than mishaps involving human-operated aircraft. Researchers suggest multimillion-dollar drone loses might be prevented by applying commercial workstation design standards to drone workstations.

Second SpaceX space station resupply flight ready to go

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:57:57 EST

The second International Space Station Commercial Resupply Services flight by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is set for liftoff at 10:10 a.m. EST on March 1 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Saving money by using electric vehicles

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:30:30 EST

High battery costs still prevent many people from buying an electric vehicle. Is it possible to save money by using an electric vehicle instead of a conventional reference car? This question is studied by the companies of Michelin and Siemens in cooperation with research partners at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI.

Insects inspiring new technology: Autonomous navigation of mobile robots based on locust vision

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:46:46 EST

The way in which the locust's distinctive visual system could be transferred into technology for state of the art vehicle collision sensors, surveillance technology and video games has been detailed as part of robotics research.

Deep space missions? Magnetic shielding of ion beam thruster walls may provide power

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:47:47 EST

Electric rocket engines known as Hall thrusters, which use a super high-velocity stream of ions to propel a spacecraft in space, have been used successfully onboard many missions for half a century. Erosion of the discharge channels walls, however, has limited their application to the inner solar system. A research team has found a way to effectively control this erosion by shaping the engine's magnetic field in a way that shields the walls from ion bombardment.

Wireless power transfer technology for high capacity transit

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:01:01 EST

Scientists have developed a wireless power transfer technology that can be applied to high capacity transportation systems such as railways, harbor freight, and airport transportation and logistics. The technology supplies 60 kHz and 180 kW of power remotely to transport vehicles at a stable, constant rate.

NASA set for new round of J-2X Testing at Stennis Space Center

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:08:08 EST

NASA's progress toward a return to deep space missions continues with a new round of upcoming tests on the next-generation J-2X rocket engine, which will help power the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) to new destinations in the solar system.

Precision of GPS in cities improved by 90 percent

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:18:18 EST

Researchers have developed a new system which improves the ability of a GPS to determine a vehicle's position as compared to that of conventional GPS devices by up to 90 percent, and which can be installed in any vehicle at a very low cost.

Virtual vehicle vibrations: Predicting role of posture in traffic collision injuries

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:24:24 EST

A researcher has designed a computer program that allows engineers to accurately predict the role posture plays in transferring the stress of vehicle motion to bone and muscle in the head and neck.

NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission: New Earth observation satellite launched

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:08:08 EST

NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) roared into space at 1:02 p.m. EST (10:02 a.m. PST) Monday aboard an Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The spacecraft carries two instruments, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS). The measurements will be compatible with data from past Landsat satellites, but the LDCM instruments use advanced technology to improve reliability, sensitivity, and data quality.

Humble 'virtual chimney' fences could reduce impact of airport pollution

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:08:08 EST

Simple 'blast' fences called baffles could deliver improvements in air quality for people living near airports, new research has found. Placed behind a runway, the baffles could serve as a 'virtual chimney', funneling emissions from aircraft engines upwards where they can disperse more effectively, thereby reducing the environmental impact on people living nearby.

New genre of 'intelligent' micro- and nanomotors

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:16:16 EST

Enzymes, workhorse molecules of life that underpin almost every biological process, may have a new role as "intelligent" micro- and nanomotors with applications in medicine, engineering and other fields. Single molecules of common enzymes can generate enough force to cause movement in specific directions, new research shows.

Electric vehicle: Light yet safe contender for city streets

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:19:19 EST

Can an electric vehicle be extremely light and safe at the same time? Researchers aim to show that the answer is yes. Engineers have chosen a sturdy monocoque body, state-of-the-art carbon fiber materials and a lightweight engine and transmission system.

Researchers break million-core supercomputer barrier

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:46:46 EST

A new record in computational science has been set by using a supercomputer with more than one million computing cores to solve a complex fluid dynamics problem -- the prediction of noise generated by a supersonic jet engine.

Lane-swapping helps autonomous vehicles avoid collisions

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:15:15 EST

Autonomous, driverless vehicles look set to hit the streets in the near future and become increasingly common, so UK researchers have investigated algorithms that could help developers include escape maneuvers to allow such vehicles to quickly and safely switch lanes to avoid collisions with other road users.

NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System offers upgrade to vital communications net

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 10:28:28 EST

NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, also known as the Space Network, will get an upgrade this month when the agency launches the first of a new generation of communications satellites to connect man of NASA's spacecraft to their control centers and mission data centers.

World's most powerful engine blazes path for space launch system advanced propulsion

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 09:32:32 EST

To help develop the nation's future heavy lift rocket, NASA resurrected the world's most powerful rocket engine ever flown -- the mighty F-1 that powered the Saturn V rocket-- and test fired its gas generator.

Motion control keeps electric car's four wheels -- and four motors -- on the road

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:49:49 EST

It weighs half as much as a sports car, and turns on a dime —- so its no surprise that a new electric car needs an exceptional traction and motion control system to keep it on the road.

Slippery surface? Ice detector warns drivers in advance

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:41:41 EST

New technology makes driving on black ice safer. Engineers have developed an automatic slipperiness detection system for cars. Thanks to the system, vehicles are warned in advance of a road's actual slipperiness. If the road becomes slippery, other vehicles arriving in the area will also be warned immediately.

NASA signs agreement for a European-provided Orion service module

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:05:05 EST

NASA signed an agreement in mid-December for the European Space Agency (ESA) to provide a service module for the Orion spacecraft's Exploration Mission-1 in 2017.

Small UAV supports development of lightweight sensors

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:37:37 EST

Engineers are developing an airborne testing capability for sensors, communications devices and other payloads. Their aerial test bed is known as the GTRI Airborne Unmanned Sensor System (GAUSS).

Artificial intelligence techniques for optimizing processes in the aeronautics industry

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:24:24 EST

A computer engineer has been working to apply artificial intelligence techniques, data mining and machine learning to problems linked to the aeronautics industry.

NASA researchers studying advanced nuclear rocket technologies

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:35:35 EST

Advanced propulsion researchers at NASA are a step closer to solving the challenge of safely sending human explorers to Mars and other solar system destinations. By using an innovative test facility at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, researchers are able to use non-nuclear materials to simulate nuclear thermal rocket fuels -- ones capable of propelling bold new exploration missions to the Red Planet and beyond.

Scientists use marine robots to detect endangered whales

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:42:42 EST

Two robots equipped with instruments designed to "listen" for the calls of baleen whales detected nine endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf of Maine last month. The robots reported the detections to shore-based researchers within hours of hearing the whales, demonstrating a new and powerful tool for managing interactions between whales and human activities.

NASA'S Space Launch System core stage passes major milestone, ready to start construction

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 10:07:07 EST

The team designing America's new flagship rocket has completed successfully a major technical review of the vehicle's core stage. NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) will take the agency's Orion spacecraft and other payloads beyond low-Earth orbit, providing a new capability for human exploration.

NASA puts Orion backup parachutes to the test

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 21:31:31 EST

NASA completed the latest in a series of parachute tests for its Orion spacecraft Thursday at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in southwestern Arizona, marking another step toward a first flight test in 2014. The test verified Orion can land safely even if one of its two drogue parachutes does not open during descent.

Chemical engineers working toward better batteries for transportation

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:35:35 EST

Chemical engineers are researching how to make better, cheaper and lighter batteries for the transportation sector.

'Easy does it' gets you further in electric vehicles

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:18:18 EST

Drivers of gas and diesel cars are usually aware that driving at high speed, harsh acceleration and hard braking all contribute to lowering their fuel economy. Scientists can readily explain in terms of the thermodynamics of the internal combustion engine why driving such a car more smoothly and at gentler speeds will increase significantly the distance that might be traveled on a single tank of fuel. But, what about electric vehicles (EVs)?

Beating heart of J-2x engine finishes year of successful NASA tests

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 09:18:18 EST

NASA has taken another step toward human exploration of new destinations in the solar system. At the agency's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, engineers conducted the final test-firing of the J-2X powerpack assembly, an important component of America's next heavy-lift rocket.

Intelligent control for performance: Reducing drag, saving fuel

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:14:14 EST

NASA Dryden's versatile F/A-18 Full Scale Advanced Systems Testbed (FAST) aircraft recently completed a series of flights that explored reducing fuel consumption during cruise flight conditions by making small modifications to existing control laws and mechanisms in the aircraft's flight control computer.

Engineer looks to dragonflies, bats for flight lessons

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:11:11 EST

Scientists are using wind tunnels and imaging tests to learn the aerodynamics that allow dragonflies and bats to get off the ground in the slow-speed, high-drag conditions of small-scale flight.