"Tomorrow's car" : Deakin Universities new cross vehicle that combines the best of 2 worlds

Motorbike riders are 34-times more likely to die in a crash compared to car drivers per km travelled (1). Such safety risks together with special skill requirements for the driver and much lower comfort compared to normal cars are the main reasons why motorbikes represent only a fraction of all vehicle sales in developed countries. Deakin University is developing a revolutionary cross-over fun vehicle with ultra low fuel consumption and emissions. This new vehicle generation combines the best of two worlds: the fun to drive, low cost, and small size of a scooter together with the safety, comfort and easiness to operate of a car. The result is a vehicle that is more fuel efficient than most cars or even scooters.

Various tilting cross over vehicles have been presented over the last decade that were trying to automate the tilting control of narrow vehicles to make them safer. Examples of these concepts are the Carver, Clever and in some way also the MP3 scooter from Piaggio. The problem with fully enclosed concepts like the Carver or Clever is that they require very complex and therefore also expensive tilting control systems so that the vehicles are not price competitive compared to low cost micro cars or even normal small cars. The MP3 on the other hand comes with a tilting control system which is only semi automatic so that typical car advantages - comprehensive safety features like crush zones, roll over protection, air bags, safety belts or comfort features like full weather protection including heating and cooling – can not be provided.

Deakin’s approach is quite different to the above mentioned concepts. The requirements were derived based on two different investigations: The first step was a critical evaluation of social trends and the second step was an in-depth benchmarking study of existing concepts which identified the typical strengths and weaknesses of these concepts. In a critical next step a new concept was created that addresses most of the weaknesses of existing tilting three-wheelers in a holistic approach by setting clear priority rankings for the vehicle targets, based on current trends. The priorities were set in the following order: Safety, Affordability, Fun and Efficiency (SAFE).

The key feature that enables an enclosed tilting vehicle is a fully automatic tilting control system. With an automatic tilting control system the driver does not need to put the feet on the ground to balance the vehicle when he stops, so the vehicle can be built with a full enclosure. This allows the implementation of typical car like safety features (seat belts, roll over structure, crush zones, air bags). The SafeRide™ tilting control system is a passive system that involves the driver’s balancing sense in its feedback control system. The vehicle has typical scooter like steering characteristics, where the steering is initiated through countersteering. Another safety critical design feature is the crush zone between the two front wheels which is not possible with only one front wheel or with the powertrain positioned between the front wheels, as the powertrain can’t absorb a lot of energy due to its structural stiffness and density. The passive tilting control system is quite simple and therefore makes the vehicle very affordable, an important factor for successful commercialisation.

Another advantage of integrating the human balancing senses in the feedback control of the tilting system is that the system kicks in slightly after the human balancing reacts. In some instances that can generate the typical adrenalin thrill known from riding a bike. This fun factor is quite common with many trend sports like mountain biking, surfing, roller-skating, snowboarding, or skateboarding. Some of these sports have seen very rapid growth only a short time after they have been invented. Utilising the human balancing system during driving also makes the vehicle safer as the adrenalin is produced after reaching a semi-stable driving condition that is controlled by the vehicles tilting control system, but before the vehicle reaches an unstable driving condition that can not be controlled by the vehicle but only (eventually) by the driver – if he has got the required driving skill and if he is alert enough.

Efficiency superior to most cars and scooters is achieved by the aerodynamics of a fully enclosed body structure in combination with the small frontal area of a typical scooter and the droplet shape enabled by the relatively wide front with 2 wheels and the very narrow tail with only one rear wheel. The passive tilting system also contributes to the extreme efficiency as the system only draws some small electrical power for the electronic control unit. Another feature is a low cost exhaust energy recovery system which is discussed in another paper.

Deep in the desert: merging the desert and the spiritual through 4WD tourism

Our paper positions four-wheel drive (4WD) travel into the Australian desert by veteran or dedicated travellers as a spiritual experience in three ways: by considering the desert itself as a sacred space; the experience of such a journey as a form of ‘nature religion’; and by viewing the actual journey itself as pilgrimage. Our argument is informed by interviews with expert 4WDers to the desert. Our study might be useful in designing sustainable strategies for 4WD desert tourism, as well as for scholars from a variety of disciplines such as sustainability and environment studies, religious studies and tourism studies, to name a few.

Extending an industrial root controller : implementation and applications of a fast open sensor interface

An overview is given of the design and implementation of a platform for fast external sensor integration in an industrial robot system called ABB S4CPlus. As an application and motivating example, the implementation of force-controlled grinding and deburring within the AUTOFETT-project is discussed. Experiences from industrial usage of the fully developed prototype confirms the appropriateness of the design choices, thus also confirming the fact that control and software need to be tightly integrated. The new sensor can be used for the prototyping and development of a wide variety of new applications

Chassis for pneumatic vehicle

A pneumatic vehicle is provided with a first sub-assembly with a chassis, part of the vehicle body, a pair of B-pillars, a pair of rear rails, wheels, an elongate aluminum compressed load bearing air tank oriented longitudinally in the chassis, side panels connected to the tank and the wheels, a heat exchanger to heat the compressed air, and an air motor driven by the heated, compressed air and connected to a wheel. A ventilation system has a restrictive solenoid valve for directing air to the heat exchanger. The air tank is provided with a carbon filament reinforced plastic layer, and a fiberglass and aramid-fiber layer. A second sub-assembly includes part of the vehicle body bonded to the first-sub-assembly using a structural adhesive, a pair of A-pillars, and a pair of roof rails. Seating includes inflatable components for adjustment.

Pneumatic powertrain for an automotive vehicle

A pneumatic vehicle is provided with a chassis, wheels, a compressed air tank, a heat exchanger to heat the compressed air, and an air motor driven by the heated air and connected to at least one wheel. A pneumatic vehicle is provided with a chassis, wheels, a compressed air tank, and an air motor driven by the compressed air and connected to a wheel. The vehicle also has a ventilation system for the passenger compartment, a heat exchanger, and a restrictive solenoid valve for directing ventilation system air to the heat exchanger. A pneumatic vehicle is provided with a chassis, wheels, an aluminum compressed air tank, a carbon filament reinforced plastic layer over the tank, a fiberglass and aramid-fiber layer over the carbon filament reinforced plastic layer, and an air motor driven by the compressed air and connected to at least one wheel.

Chassis for pneumatic vehicle

A pneumatic vehicle is provided with a first sub-assembly with a chassis, part of the vehicle body, a pair of B-pillars, a pair of rear rails, wheels, an elongate aluminum compressed load bearing air tank oriented longitudinally in the chassis, side panels connected to the tank and the wheels, a heat exchanger to heat the compressed air, and an air motor driven by the heated, compressed air and connected to a wheel. A ventilation system has a restrictive solenoid valve for directing air to the heat exchanger. The air tank is provided with a carbon filament reinforced plastic layer, and a fiberglass and aramid-fiber layer. A second sub-assembly includes part of the vehicle body bonded to the first-sub-assembly using a structural adhesive, a pair of A-pillars, and a pair of roof rails. Seating includes inflatable components for adjustment.

Sucrose and lollypops to reduce immunisation pain in toddlers and young children: two pilot randomised controlled trials

Aims To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of sweet taste in reducing pain in toddlers and pre-school children during immunisation and to use the results to inform a sample size estimation for future full-scale trials. Background Sweet solutions reduce procedural pain in newborn infants and in infants beyond the newborn period. It is unclear if sweet taste continues to reduce procedural pain in children older than one year of age. Design Two parallel design pilot randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Methods Children attending an Immunisation Drop-in Clinic at a children's hospital in Australia participated in one of two pilot RCTs: 1) a double-blinded RCT of 33% sucrose compared to water in toddlers receiving their 12- or 18-month immunisation or 2) a non-blinded RCT of lollypop compared to standard care (active distraction using bubble and pin wheel blowing) in pre-school children aged 3-5 years. Primary outcomes included cry incidence and duration and pain score using the FLACC. Results Interventions, standard care and all aspects of the study were acceptable to children, parents and immunisation nurses. More toddlers in the sucrose group received their 12-month immunisation and more injections (n=35) compared to toddlers randomised to water (n=26). There were no significant differences in crying time or pain scores between intervention and control groups in either pilot RCT. Conclusion The study interventions are acceptable to children and parents. Full-scale trials would be feasible to conduct. Implications for clinical practice Toddlers receiving their 12-month immunisation should be the focus of future full-scale RCTs.

MicroRNA-23a has minimal effect on endurance exercise-induced adaptation of mouse skeletal muscle.

Skeletal muscles contain several subtypes of myofibers that differ in contractile and metabolic properties. Transcriptional control of fiber-type specification and adaptation has been intensively investigated over the past several decades. Recently, microRNA (miRNA)-mediated posttranscriptional gene regulation has attracted increasing attention. MiR-23a targets key molecules regulating contractile and metabolic properties of skeletal muscle, such as myosin heavy-chains and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α). In the present study, we analyzed the skeletal muscle phenotype of miR-23a transgenic (miR-23a Tg) mice to explore whether forced expression of miR-23a affects markers of mitochondrial content, muscle fiber composition, and muscle adaptations induced by 4 weeks of voluntary wheel running. When compared with wild-type mice, protein markers of mitochondrial content, including PGC-1α, and cytochrome c oxidase complex IV (COX IV), were significantly decreased in the slow soleus muscle, but not the fast plantaris muscle of miR-23a Tg mice. There was a decrease in type IId/x fibers only in the soleus muscle of the Tg mice. Following 4 weeks of voluntary wheel running, there was no difference in the endurance exercise capacity as well as in several muscle adaptive responses including an increase in muscle mass, capillary density, or the protein content of myosin heavy-chain IIa, PGC-1α, COX IV, and cytochrome c. These results show that miR-23a targets PGC-1α and regulates basal metabolic properties of slow but not fast twitch muscles. Elevated levels of miR-23a did not impact on whole body endurance capacity or exercise-induced muscle adaptations in the fast plantaris muscle.

Comparison of cell disruption methods for improving lipid extraction from thraustochytrid strains

Lipid extraction is an integral part of biodiesel production, as it facilitates the release of fatty acids from algal cells. To utilise thraustochytrids as a potential source for lipid production. We evaluated the extraction efficiency of various solvents and solvent combinations for lipid extraction from Schizochytrium sp. S31 and Thraustochytrium sp. AMCQS5-5. The maximum lipid extraction yield was 22% using a chloroform:methanol ratio of 2:1. We compared various cell disruption methods to improve lipid extraction yields, including grinding with liquid nitrogen, bead vortexing, osmotic shock, water bath, sonication and shake mill. The highest lipid extraction yields were obtained using osmotic shock and 48.7% from Schizochytrium sp. S31 and 29.1% from Thraustochytrium sp. AMCQS5-5. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid contents were more than 60% in Schizochytrium sp. S31 which suggests their suitability for biodiesel production.

Affective dysfunction in a mouse model of Rett syndrome: therapeutic effects of environmental stimulation and physical activity

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with mutations in the X-linked gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) and consequent dysregulation of brain maturation. Patients suffer from a range of debilitating physical symptoms, however, behavioral and emotional symptoms also severely affect their quality of life. Here, we present previously unreported and clinically relevant affective dysfunction in the female heterozygous Mecp2tm1Tam mouse model of RTT (129sv and C57BL6 mixed background). The affective dysfunction and aberrant anxiety-related behavior of the Mecp2+ / - mice were found to be reversible with environmental enrichment (EE) from 4 weeks of age. The effect of exercise alone (via wheel running) was also explored, providing the first evidence that increased voluntary physical activity in an animal model of RTT is beneficial for some phenotypes. Mecp2+ / - mutants displayed elevated corticosterone despite decreased Crh expression, demonstrating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation. EE of Mecp2+ / - mice normalized basal serum corticosterone and hippocampal BDNF protein levels. The enrichment-induced rescue appears independent of the transcriptional regulation of the MeCP2 targets Bdnf exon 4 and Crh. These findings provide new insight into the neurodevelopmental role of MeCP2 and pathogenesis of RTT, in particular the affective dysfunction. The positive outcomes of environmental stimulation and physical exercise have implications for the development of therapies targeting the affective symptoms, as well as behavioral and cognitive dimensions, of this devastating neurodevelopmental disorder.