Attributions of social interactions: Driving among self-driving vs. conventional vehicles

Mixed traffic—roadway shared by automated (AV) and conventional vehicles—is anticipated to take place in the next few decades as the production and acceptance of automated vehicles increases. However, interactions between AVs and drivers in conventional vehicles are projected to be problematic. The current study aimed to examine the relationship among intentionality attributions, emotional reactions, and intended driver behaviors in response to hypothetical traffic scenarios when the actions were performed by human-drivers vs. self-driving cars. Three studies were conducted: Pilot Study 1: modifications of the Propensity for Angry Driving Scale (PADS), Pilot Study 2: verification of the instructions of the modified PADS using a college student sample, and Main Study: collection of ratings of intentionality, emotions, intended responses, trait aggression, and demographics upon reading human-driver and self-driving car PADS using a heterogeneous online sample. Intended responses were more severe in the self-driving car conditions, even though the self-driving car's actions were attributed as less intentional. Self-driving cars portrayed as having a heart and a mind led to similar behavioral responses but different affective ratings. Individuals who attributed the actions intentionally and rated their emotions more negatively had more aggressive intended responses. The results suggest that people perceive and interpret the capacities and responsibilities of the actors—human-driver and self-driving car—differently due to differential mind attributions. As technology in transportation matures, examining people's behaviors and intentions in mixed traffic can lead to better preparation for the future roads and maximize the safety benefits of automated vehicles.     

Which is the First Electric Vehicle?

The world's first electric vehicle is discussed. It is said that the first experiment on an electric vehicle was performed in the middle of the 1830s, just after the discovery of Faraday's law. Therefore, this era is called the age of invention for applications of the electric motor, one of them being the electric vehicle. There are numerous theories, rumors, and opinions about the first electric vehicle. Here, I will clarify which experiment should be called the first experiment on an electric vehicle.     

Cognitive control by brain-injured car drivers: an exploratory study

Cognitive control is a key tool for adaptation in dynamic situations. The aim of the study is to assess the relevance of a theoretical framework for cognitive control in dynamic situations, in order to understand brain-injured (BI) car drivers' cognitive impairment. The framework supports a cognitive control multimodality based on the crossing of two orthogonal dimensions: symbolic/subsymbolic; anticipative/reactive control. BI car drivers' behaviour was compared with that of a control group (CTRL) during driving simulator scenarios. Eye movement analysis, among other variables, revealed that BI car drivers made use of a more symbolic and reactive control than did CTRL drivers. CTRL drivers showed a more stable cognitive compromise than BI drivers. The latter became less symbolic and more reactive in the case of difficult scenarios. In addition, BI drivers focused on the main task of trajectory management, with fewer resources devoted to traffic interaction management.

Statement of Relevance:An explanation of differences between BI and CTRL drivers in terms of cognitive control requirements, attention and processing speed is put forward. From this, it is possible to derive some implications in terms of driver assistance (e.g. lane keeping or a warning assistance device) and rehabilitation.     

捣固焦炉消烟除尘车的改造

焦炉是焦化生产的主要设备,也是焦化厂生产过程中的最大污染源。原焦炉装煤过程产生大量烟尘,采用炉顶消烟除尘车除尘。消烟除尘车处理效果不理想,释放大量烟尘。针对捣固焦生产过程中焦炉在装煤过程产生的大量烟尘,采用拦焦车集尘罩导入消烟除尘车二者配合除尘,进行了2次改造。第2次改造后采用间距为500 mm,互相垂直的2组折流板结构,2组折流板底部各增加1组旋向相反的螺旋喷淋器,洗涤折流板,除尘效果良好,烟气排放达到并优于环保标准,烟尘排放量远低于国家标准,减排效果显著。     

粉末锻造在国外轿车生产中的应用

叙述了粉末锻造的工艺实质、工艺流程及其要求。介绍了轿车零件粉末锻造工艺的应用实例。阐述了粉末锻造工艺的优点。     

Prediction of time to ignition in multiple vehicle fire spread experiments

This paper describes the application of the flux‐time product ignition criterion and the point source flame radiation model to predict the time to ignition in multiple vehicle spread scenarios. Ten experiments from the literature have been selected due to sufficiency of information required to apply the methods. The outcome of this work is to be applied to a risk‐based model for the design of car parking buildings to determine when and if a fire spreads between vehicles; therefore, the analysis suggests properties of a representative material that can reasonably account for those external vehicle components that are most likely to ignite first. The application of both methods to the complex problem of multiple vehicle ignition requires several assumptions and simplifications which are discussed in the paper.     

矿车轴载荷计算方法的比较及选用

针对矿车轴的弯曲损坏,分析了固定式矿车车轴的受力,并对力叠加法以及当量负荷法2种计算方法进行了分析和比较,认为应采用当量负荷法进行车轴的设计计算。     

秦冶混铁车的研制

简要介绍了鱼雷型混铁车与筒型混铁车的区别及几种不同的倾动形式，并对制造的难点进行了分析，提出关键技术的解决方法。     

汽车座椅靠背注塑模具设计

以某汽车座椅塑料靠背为例,分析了其结构特征,运用Moldflow软件对模具结构进行了优化分析,介绍了模具设计特点和模具工作过程。实际生产证明,该模具设计合理,动作可靠,成型周期短,其设计方法对大型薄壁塑料件的注射模设计具有一定的参考价值。     

Nominal energy optimisation method of constrained battery packs through the iteration of the series‐parallel topology

The design of a battery pack commonly deals with high performance goals and challenging constraints in terms of cost, volume or weight. One of the most crucial variables to maximise is the nominal energy, which depends on the number of discrete battery cells that can be allocated and their individual technical specifications. This work proposes a systematic method to optimise the nominal energy of a constrained battery pack from the perspective of the series‐parallel topology. A mathematical and graphical characterisation is presented on how the main battery's variables are related to a topology bounded to discretisation procedures. It was theoretically found that the effects of rounding the values of the topology may lead to a considerable loss of potential nominal energy, a risk that increases linearly with the number of series. The behaviour of the battery is assessed under nominal conditions and under the event of a cell failure. The theoretical analysis suggests that the detrimental effects due to an open‐circuit increase as the number of series increases, while it is the opposite in the case of a shorted cell. The method is satisfactorily implemented in the development of two different battery packs for solar competition cars with limiting regulations. The candidate topologies outperformed the nominal energy of topologies defined without the method in up to 5%. It was also found that selecting an energy‐maximising topology is not always the most convenient choice, because other variables may be of interest and are dependent on the topology as well. The method is of great use to guide the topology definition process in early theoretical stages, which is usually a compromise between allocating as much cells as possible within constraints, and approaching other performance goals such as a given nominal voltage or capacity. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.