No description available.

A novel about a reality bomb.

In comparison to conventional cruise control, adaptive cruise control (ACC) vehicles are capable of sensing forward traffic and slowing to accommodate as necessary. When no forward vehicles are present, ACC function is the same as conventional cruise control. However, with ACC, when a slower vehicle is detected, the ACC system will decelerate and follow at a selected time-based distance. While slowing to follow, the driver will experience a system-controlled deceleration of the ACC vehicle. An experiment was conducted to evaluate driver preferences for the distance at which the primary deceleration occurs and the level of deceleration that is obtained. Driver intervention was required in one trial and driver response behavior was measured. Ten men and ten women in two age groups evaluated the decelerations from a cruise speed of 70mph to a following speed of 55mph behind a confederate lead vehicle on the highway. Evaluations can be made using four scales: Good vs. Bad, Comfortable vs. Uncomfortable, Jerky vs. Smooth, and Early vs. Late. Decelerations of approximately 0.06g which occur approximately 200ft to 250ft behind the lead vehicle were most preferred. Prior to intervention, foot position ranged from a point directly below the brake pedal to 16.4in from the brake pedal. Foot motion began between 21.12s time-to-collision (TTC) and 3.97s TTC. Eighty percent of the participants paused to "cover" the brake before final motion to activate the brake. The older age group intervened (braked) later than the younger age group. Driver braking after intervention ranged from 0.16g to 0.32g. / Master of Science

Intelligent cruise control (ICC) has the potential to impact both roadway throughput and safety by assisting drivers in maintaining safe headways. This thesis explores this potential through comparisons of ICC to conventional cruise control (CCC) and manual driving. Accordingly, descriptions are given of both CCC and ICC systems. Furthermore, descriptions of ICC evaluation studies and car-following models are presented. The evaluation of ICC is conducted using data collected as part of the Field Operational Test (FOT) performed in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Two levels of analysis are presented in this thesis. The first level of analysis compares the usage of ICC to CCC from a macro level. This study demonstrated that ICC was used more along similar trips. In addition, it was shown that there was no difference in usage of the ON, SET, CANCEL and RESUME buttons. ICC resulted in a higher usage of the ACCEL button and a lower usage of the COAST button compared to CCC. Furthermore, the number of brake interventions while ICC was engaged was higher than CCC. Lastly, the macro-level analysis indicated that there was no difference in the number of near encounters for ICC and CCC. The second analysis makes comparisons at a micro level. The most probable speed, acceleration and headway for each driving mode as well as the probability of using cruise control (based on speed) were determined. The probability of ICC use exceeded CCC use for every freeway speed bin and all but two high-speed arterial speed bins. Finally, a car-following behavior comparison was performed. Manual driving resulted in larger headway values for speeds less than 80 km/h. The ICC speed-headway curve was similar to the CCC speed-headway curve created from high-speed arterial data. The mean headway-speed charts, however, indicated that ICC was more similar to manual driving. Exploration into the specific differences is needed in order to determine the impact of ICC on system safety. / Master of Science

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-106). Also available on the World Wide Web.

This study focuses on exploring the relative importance of six influential factors in cruise customers’ decision-making process such as: cruise vacation price, cruise duration, distance from the cruise port, itineraries, environmental friendliness of cruise line and cruise online reviews. The decision on which influencing factors to select was made based on the review of literature. The complexity of cruise customers’ decision-making process for these six attributes with several levels was examined with Choice-Based Conjoint (CBC) Analysis. CBC was selected due to its realistic approach to purchase decisions, in the form of trade-offs. The online survey collected data anonymously. The survey was distributed through Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk) platform. Only 450 cruise customers, who had experienced a cruise vacation before were eligible to participate in the study. The purpose of the study was to discover the relative importance of the influencing factors to gain more insights about cruise customers. The findings of the study showed that online reviews were the most influential attribute for cruise customers in their cruise decision, followed very closely by the environmental friendliness of the cruise line. The next influential factor was the duration of the cruise vacation which was followed by distance from the cruise port, cruise itinerary and cruise vacation price. The best and the worst cruise vacation profile were generated from CBC analysis. The findings of this study provide some insights with regard to cruise customers’ importance about influencing factors when deciding on a cruise vacation.

The Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT) at Virginia Tech participates in the 4-Year EcoCAR Mobility Challenge organized by Argonne National Laboratory. The objective of this competition is to modify a stock 2019 internal combustion engine Chevrolet Blazer and incorporate a hybrid powertrain and advanced driver assist systems. The Blazer has a P4 hybrid architecture which contains an electric traction motor on the rear axle and an internal combustion engine on the front axle. HEVT seeks to develop a vehicle with advanced driving capabilities to demonstrate energy savings by utilizing existing technologies. The hybrid market has generally been tailored to small compact vehicles however, a Chevrolet Blazer is a midsize utility vehicle that offers additional space with the benefit of increased fuel economy. The research discussed in this paper focuses on the design of a Signalized Intersection Control Strategy. First, research is performed on different methods of intersection control and implementation with an existing Model Predictive Adaptive Cruise Controller. Based on ease of integration into an existing tuned Eco Adaptive Cruise Control System (ACC), a control strategy operating in the background of the main vehicle controllers is chosen. The main topic of this research is the development and simulation of a Signalized Intersection Control Strategy that works through an Eco ACC system to achieve further energy savings during an approach to a connected intersection while ensuring rider safety. This paper expands on the current knowledge of vehicle utilization of Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) signals through simulated test cases of a vehicle system model using MATLAB. In each case, the tractive energy consumption and travel times are analyzed for both the Eco ACC system with Signalized Intersection Control Strategy (informed) vehicle and an assumed uninformed driver for comparison. In the case of a vehicle approaching a green intersection which turns red several seconds after SPaT information is received, the informed system shows a 92% decrease or 75 Wh/mi reduction in propel energy consumption at when compared to an uninformed driver. However, in a similar case where the vehicle accelerates back to cruising speed after the light turns green, displays only an 11% decrease or 47 Wh/mi reduction in propel energy consumption at the wheel when compared to the uninformed driver. These simulations confirm that the Signalized Intersection Control Strategy reduces the propel energy consumption at the wheel during approaches to signalized intersections without extending the travel time greatly and in some cases at all. The results of this research show that the control strategy reduces tractive energy consumption while maintaining travel time. / Master of Science / The Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT) at Virginia Tech participates in the 4-Year EcoCAR Mobility Challenge organized by Argonne National Laboratory. The objective of this competition is to change a stock 2019 internal combustion engine Chevrolet Blazer into a functioning hybrid. This conversion is accomplished with the addition of an electric motor to allow the vehicle to burn less gasoline and increase customer appeal. The hybrid market has generally been tailored to small compact vehicles however, a Chevrolet Blazer is a midsize utility vehicle that offers additional space with the benefit of increased fuel economy. The research discussed in this paper focuses on the design of a Signalized Intersection Control Strategy. First, research is performed on various methods of existing intersection speed control. Based on ease of integration, a background process is chosen to update the set speed of the vehicle. The main topic of this research is the development and simulation of a Signalized Intersection Control Strategy that achieves greater energy savings during approaches to intersections. This paper expands on the current knowledge of vehicle utilization of Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) signals through simulated test cases of a vehicle system model using MATLAB. In the case of a vehicle approaching a green intersection which turns red several seconds later, the implemented strategy shows a 92% decrease in energy consumption when compared to an uninformed driver. However, a similar case where the vehicle accelerates back to cruising speed after the light turns green displays only an 11% decrease in energy consumption when compared to an uninformed driver. These simulations confirm that the Signalized Intersection Control Strategy successfully reduces energy consumption without significant travel time extensions. The results of this research show that the control strategy reduces tractive energy consumption while maintaining travel time.

A unique characteristic of Earth is that it is the only planet in the solar system where water is known to exist. Seventy one percent of the earth is comprised of water with the largest body of water being the ocean. Everyone is very dependent on this water source and therefore, it becomes important, if not vital, to protect the ocean from unnecessary pollutants. Unfortunately, as the presence of manmade vessels in the ocean has increased it has become very difficult and costly to protect the ocean and prevent it from becoming polluted. One particular industry that has been heavily criticized for their disposal of waste into the ocean is the cruise ship industry. Although, there are many vessels that dispose of waste into the ocean this is an industry that has been surrounded by a lot of controversy regarding this issue. This may be attributed to the vast number of cruise vessels traveling in the ocean, making this industry a very visible one to the public. This thesis will examine the effect of the cruise ship industry on the ocean and if current laws are regulating this industry in a sufficient manner. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze these regulations in order to determine whether the government must place more stringent regulations on the cruise ship industry. It will examine the growth of the cruise ship industry in relation to the implementation of new guidelines to keep up with this growth. It will also analyze the current enforcement of these regulations to determine if the cruise ship industry is complying with current laws. This thesis will explain whether the government is doing all it can to protect the ocean or if the government needs to take a more active role in implementing new regulations.

This study establishes an initial understanding of the state of cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Two specific objectives were fulfilled; a) to develop an understanding of the goals and operational procedures of current cruise ship operators, and b) to provide insight into the policies that may be necessary for Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service to enhance management in parks and protected areas. <br /><br /> Cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic is a relatively new industry. At present, there is a lack of inclusive government guidelines for the Canadian cruise tourism industry. The steady increase of cruise tourism traffic in the region since 1984 suggests the potential for environmental and social impacts to this fragile polar region. There is a need for the creation of guidelines to direct this tourism activity. <br /><br /> A literature review identified the current state of the cruise line industry in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, Antarctic and Alaskan waters. The policy requirements pertaining to cruise tourism in parks and protected areas were identified including the current management strategies for tourism employed in Northern Canadian parks and protected areas. <br /><br /> Content analysis of current cruise tourism literature themes, which were used to create and conduct interviews that explored these themes. From these findings, data was used to create a policy formation framework that will assist in the planning and management of cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. <br /><br /> The results indicated that cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic is percevied as a safe and economically viable industry. The research found a high degree of coherence between the literature and the opinion of the stakeholders in regards to key issues that need to be addressed. Such issues include the need for greater academic research on this topic; the need for policies and guidelines to aid in the management of parks and protected areas in polar regions; a need for unity and cohesion in the Arctic Cruise Tourism Industry and finally, greater government awareness and assistance given to the cruise tourism industry in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. There was also a high degree of enthusiasm from the stakeholders for inter-group and interagency cooperation. This enthusiasm bodes well for the future of cruise tourism policy creation in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. <br /><br /> This thesis proposes a structure for the way forward.

This study establishes an initial understanding of the state of cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Two specific objectives were fulfilled; a) to develop an understanding of the goals and operational procedures of current cruise ship operators, and b) to provide insight into the policies that may be necessary for Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service to enhance management in parks and protected areas. <br /><br /> Cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic is a relatively new industry. At present, there is a lack of inclusive government guidelines for the Canadian cruise tourism industry. The steady increase of cruise tourism traffic in the region since 1984 suggests the potential for environmental and social impacts to this fragile polar region. There is a need for the creation of guidelines to direct this tourism activity. <br /><br /> A literature review identified the current state of the cruise line industry in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, Antarctic and Alaskan waters. The policy requirements pertaining to cruise tourism in parks and protected areas were identified including the current management strategies for tourism employed in Northern Canadian parks and protected areas. <br /><br /> Content analysis of current cruise tourism literature themes, which were used to create and conduct interviews that explored these themes. From these findings, data was used to create a policy formation framework that will assist in the planning and management of cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. <br /><br /> The results indicated that cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic is percevied as a safe and economically viable industry. The research found a high degree of coherence between the literature and the opinion of the stakeholders in regards to key issues that need to be addressed. Such issues include the need for greater academic research on this topic; the need for policies and guidelines to aid in the management of parks and protected areas in polar regions; a need for unity and cohesion in the Arctic Cruise Tourism Industry and finally, greater government awareness and assistance given to the cruise tourism industry in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. There was also a high degree of enthusiasm from the stakeholders for inter-group and interagency cooperation. This enthusiasm bodes well for the future of cruise tourism policy creation in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. <br /><br /> This thesis proposes a structure for the way forward.