BODY FOR PNEUMATIC VEHICLE

A pneumatic vehicle is provided with a first and second sub-assembly. The first sub-assembly has a chassis supporting an air tank. The second sub-assembly has part of the vehicle body and is bonded to the first-sub-assembly using a structural adhesive. Another pneumatic vehicle is provided with a first and second sub-assembly. The first sub-assembly has a chassis, air tank, part of the vehicle body, a pair of B-pillars, and a pair of rear rails. The second sub-assembly has a part of the vehicle body, a pair of A-pillars, and a pair of roof rails. A vehicle seat is provided with a seat base and upright seat back providing a seating area. A bladder located in the central region of the seating area inflates to provide two bucket seats, and deflates to provide a bench seat. The vehicle seat also has inflatable inserts to provide cushioning.

Body for pneumatic vehicle

A pneumatic vehicle is provided with a first and second sub-assembly. The first sub-assembly has a chassis supporting an air tank. The second sub-assembly has part of the vehicle body and is bonded to the first-sub-assembly using a structural adhesive. Another pneumatic vehicle is provided with a first and second sub-assembly. The first sub-assembly has a chassis, air tank, part of the vehicle body, a pair of B-pillars, and a pair of rear rails. The second sub-assembly has a part of the vehicle body, a pair of A-pillars, and a pair of roof rails. A vehicle seat is provided with a seat base and upright seat back providing a seating area. A bladder located in the central region of the seating area inflates to provide two bucket seats, and deflates to provide a bench seat. The vehicle seat also has inflatable inserts to provide cushioning.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Potential for water-resource infrastructure to act as refuge habitat

Permanent sources of natural water are expected to decline in Mediterranean-climate regions under future climate change. Therefore, stable water bodies that act as refuge habitats will become increasingly important to the maintenance of freshwater biodiversity. Man-made water bodies such as those associated with water-resource infrastructure could contribute to the available refuge habitat but little is known about fish, zooplankton and frog assemblages in such water bodies. We quantified the diversity and abundance of fish, zooplankton and frogs that reside within raw water storages and water reclamation plants and compared them to assemblages from nearby natural water bodies over a total of 19 water bodies.Overall, the faunal assemblages within the man-made water bodies showed similarities to the nearby natural water bodies with very few differences found among the three water body types. Diversity of available substrates and of submerged and emergent macrophytes were the habitat variables best correlated with diverse faunal assemblages. This study suggests that the faunal assemblages within raw water storages and water reclamation plants resemble those found within nearby natural water bodies and that there is therefore potential for water-resource infrastructure to act as an important refuge habitat during drought. Furthermore, small changes in the management of these storages to maximise habitat diversity could increase the value of the refuge, complementing their role in water-resource delivery.

Recruitment of the infaunal bivalve Soletellina Alba (Lamark,1818) (Bivalvia: Psammobiidae) in response to different sediment types and water depths within the intermittently open Hopkins River estuary

Studies examining recruitment processes for soft-sediment macroinvertebrate fauna in intermittent estuaries are rare and most studies of active habitat selection have been tested in the laboratory rather than the field. The present field study examined whether recruitment of the infaunal bivalve Soletellina alba was influenced by water depth and sediment particle size in the intermittent Hopkins River estuary, southern Australia. The number of recruits in sediment trays differed between water depths, but active habitat selection was not evident across treatments of varying sediment particle size. The use of sediments with varying particle sizes also provided an opportunity to identify potential discontinuities in body-size distributions of recruits associated with varying habitat architecture. The length (mm) of recruits was converted to the same scale used to express sediment particle size (i.e. phi units: phi = − log2 of sediment particle size). The size of recruits differed across water depths, but did not differ across treatments with fine (phi = 3) versus coarse (phi = 1) sediment, and no relationships were apparent between bivalve size and sediments consisting of varying particle size. These patterns of recruitment do not correspond with the distribution of adult S. alba within the Hopkins River estuary. Previous sampling has shown that abundances of juvenile and adult S. alba are variable across time, site and water depth, but are often greater at the deeper water depth (1.05 m below the Australian Height Datum). However, recruitment during the present study was greatest at the shallower water depth (0.05 m below AHD), and the apparent absence of active habitat selection suggests that the distribution of adults is unlikely to be attributable to differences in recruitment associated with sediments of varying particle size.

Emotional reactions following exposure to idealized bodies predict unhealthy body change attitudes and behaviors in women and men

Objective: We explored the extent to which changes in emotional states following exposure to images of idealized bodies predict unhealthy body change attitudes and behaviors in women and men, and whether particular psychological traits mediate these effects. Method: One hundred thirty-three women and 93 men were assessed for unhealthy attitudes and behaviors related to body weight and muscles using the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), the Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire, and the strategies to increase muscles subscale of the Body Change Inventory. Psychological traits assessed included body dissatisfaction (EDI-2), internalization of the thin/athletic ideal (Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3), body comparison (Body Comparison Scale), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), and identity confusion (Self-Concept Clarity Scale). Participants were then exposed to photographs of thin female models and muscular male models, and visual analogue scales were used to measure changes in postexposure state body dissatisfaction, anger, anxiety, and depression.
Results: Postexposure increases in state anger, anxiety, depression, and body dissatisfaction correlated with drive for thinness and disordered eating symptomatology in women, while postexposure increases in state body dissatisfaction correlated with muscle development in men. Analyses revealed that internalization and body comparison mediated these relationships, with trait body dissatisfaction, trait depression, self-esteem, and self-concept/identity confusion serving as mediators for women only. Conclusion: These results are indicative of gender differences in: (a) reactions to idealized bodies; (b) psychological traits that predispose individuals to experience these reactions; and (c) types of body change behavior that are associated with these reactions.

Direction-specific diaphyseal geometry and mineral mass distribution of tibia and fibula: A pQCT study of female athletes representing different exercise loading types

Bones adapt to prevalent loading, which comprises mainly forces caused by muscle contractions. Therefore, we hypothesized that similar associations would be observed between neuromuscular performance and rigidity of bones located in the same body segment. These associations were assessed among 221 premenopausal women representing athletes in high-impact, odd-impact, highmagnitude, repetitive low-impact, and repetitive nonimpact sports and physically active referents aged 17–40 years. The whole group mean age and body mass were 23 (5) and 63 (9) kg, respectively. Bone cross sections at the tibial and fibular mid-diaphysis were assessed with peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Density-weighted polar section modulus (SSI) and minimal and maximal crosssectional moments of inertia (Imin, Imax) were analyzed. Bone morphology was described as the Imax/Imin ratio. Neuromuscular performance was assessed by maximal power during countermovement jump (CMJ). Tibial SSI was 31% higher in the high-impact, 19% in the odd-impact, and 30% in the repetitive low-impact groups compared with the reference group (P\0.005). Only the high-impact group differed from the referents in fibular SSI (17%, P\0.005). Tibial morphology differed between groups (P = 0.001), but fibular morphology did not (P = 0.247). The bone-bygroup interaction was highly significant (P\0.001). After controlling for height, weight, and age, the CMJ peak power correlated moderately with tibial SSI (r = 0.31, P\0.001) but not with fibular SSI (r = 0.069, P = 0.313). In conclusion, observed differences in the association between neuromuscular performance and tibial and fibular traits suggest
that the tibia and fibula experience different loading

Risk of falls and motor vehicle collisions in glaucoma

PURPOSE. To investigate the risk of falls and motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) in patients with glaucoma.

METHODS. The sample comprised 48 patients with glaucoma (mean visual field mean deviation [MD] in the better eye = −3.9 dB; 5.1 dB SD) and 47 age-matched normal control subjects, who were recruited from a university-based hospital eye care clinic and are enrolled in an ongoing prospective study of risk factors for falls, risk factors for MVCs, and on-road driving performance in glaucoma. Main outcome measures at baseline were previous self-reported falls and MVCs, and police-reported MVCs. Demographic and medical data were obtained. In addition, functional independence in daily living, physical activity level and balance were assessed. Clinical vision measures included visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, standard automated perimetry, useful field of view (UFOV), and stereopsis. Analyses of falls and MVCs were adjusted to account for the possible confounding effects of demographic characteristics, medications, and visual field impairment. MVC analyses were also adjusted for kilometers driven per week.

RESULTS. There were no significant differences between patients with glaucoma and control subjects with respect to number of systemic medical conditions, body mass index, functional independence, and physical activity level (P > 0.10). At baseline, 40 (83%) patients with glaucoma and 44 (94%) control subjects were driving. Compared with control subjects, patients with glaucoma were over three times more likely to have fallen in the previous year (odds ratio [OR]adjusted = 3.71; 95% CI, 1.14–12.05), over six times more likely to have been involved in one or more MVCs in the previous 5 years (ORadjusted = 6.62; 95% CI, 1.40–31.23), and more likely to have been at fault (ORadjusted = 12.44; 95% CI, 1.08–143.99). The strongest risk factor for MVCs in patients with glaucoma was impaired UFOV selective attention (ORadjusted = 10.29; 95% CI, 1.10–96.62; for selective attention >350 ms compared with ≤350 ms).

CONCLUSIONS. There is an increased risk of falls and MVCs in patients with glaucoma.

"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.

Occupational light vehicle use: characterising the at-risk population

Previous occupational light vehicle research has concentrated on employees using cars. The aim of this study was to identify and characterise the total occupational light vehicle-user population and compare it with the privately-used light vehicle population. Occupational light vehicle and private light vehicle populations were identified through use-related 2003 registration categories from New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority data. Key groups of occupational light vehicle registration variables were comparatively assessed as potential determinants of occupational light vehicleuser risks. These comparisons were expressed as odds ratios with 95% Confidence Intervals. The occupational light vehicle population vehicles (n=646,201) comprised 18% of all light vehicle registrations. A number of statistical differences emerge between the two populations. For instance, 86% of occupational light vehicle registrants were male versus 65% of private registrants, and 56% of the occupational users registered load shape vehicles versus 20% of the private registrants. Occupational light vehicles registered for farming or taxi use were more than six times more likely to belong to sole-traders than organisations. Sole-traders were nearly twice as likely to register light-trucks, and twice as likely to register older vehicles, than organisations. This study demonstrates that the occupational light vehicle user population is larger and more diverse than previously shown with characteristics likely to increase the relative risks of motor vehicle crashes. More occupational light vehicles were load shapes and therefore likely to have poorer crashworthiness ratings than cars. Occupational light vehicles are frequently used by sole-traders for activities with increased OHS risks including farming and taxi use. Further exploration of occupational light vehicle-user crash risks should include all vehicle types, work arrangements and small ‘fleets’.

Whole-body vibration and occupational physical performance: a review

Introduction: In the occupational environment, there are a considerable number of stressors that can affect physical performance in job tasks. Whole-body vibration (WBV), which arises from vehicle transit, is one such stressor that has been demonstrated to alter human function in several ways. This study identifies the known physical changes to human function which result from WBV, to comment on changes which may translate to performance in physically demanding occupational tasks. Methods: A systematic review is performed on the literature relating to changes in the neuromuscular, physiological and biomechanical properties of the human body, when exposed to WBV. Selection criteria are constructed to synthesise articles which strictly relate to in-vehicle WBV and physical responses. Results: In total, 29 articles were identified which satisfied the criteria for inclusion. A range of physical responses produced from WBV are presented; however, little consistency exists in study design and the responses reported. Discussion: Given the inconsistency in the reported responses, the precise changes to human function remain unknown. However, there is sufficient evidence to warrant the design of studies which investigate occupationally relevant physical performance changes following WBV.