The transport sector is a major end-user of energy. As consumers are becoming aware and conscious of their environmental footprint making the enviromental footprint of automobile components one of the requirements in new product design development. The purpose of the study is to identify environmental impacts of a plastic panel. The main objective of the study is to perform an environmental life cycle assessment (E-LCA) of an existing panel regarding four scenarios with a nonbio-based plastic and a bio-based plastic. The first two scenarios have the same production and use phase, but different end-of-life treatments. The plastic in these scenarios is non-biobased. The last two scenarios have the same bio-based plastic and use phase, but different end-of-life-treatments. The first three scenarios have a surface material covering the plastic. The environmental impacts analyzed are global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, photochemical ozone creation potential, primary energy demand and particulate matter. The analysis is carried out according to the ISO14040/44 with the four steps of LCA: 1) Goal and Scope Definition, 2) Inventory Analysis, 3) Impact Assessment, and 4) Interpretation. The functional unit of the anaysis is a plastic panel. The inventory was collected by literature, the LCA software GaBi, and the commissoner of the study. The environmental impact assessment was conducted in GaBi 8 with the method of CML2015, Primary Energy, and IMPACT2002+. A dominance and a contribution analyses were applied to identify the hotspots of the life cycle. The hotspot of the life cycle was identified to be the production phase. The main contributor within the scenarios was the plastic production, specifically the granulates and the fiber fillings. The bio-based plastic reduced the impacts compared to the non-bio-based in five out of six cases. However, the photochemical ozone creation potential for both plastics were the same. The bio-based plastic reduced the GWP 16%, AP by 1%, EP by less than 1%, and PED by 19%. If the surface cover in aluminum was removed, the GWP was reduced by 46%, AP by 35%, EP by29%, POCP by 36%, PED by 42%and PM by 40%.  The transportation contributed most to impacts in the acidification potential, eutrophication potential, and particulate matter. The transportation’s impacts were greater in the bio-based plastic than the non-bio-based. The granulates of the plastic along with the injection molding are the main contributors due to usage of coal-based electricity for the injection molding and oil for the plastic production. The values used in the study are based on country averages which may differ depending on geographic location and its development as China is a country with a large area. The GWP is the highest value of the impacts analyzed, but even though the other are small fractions these may cause great damages. These damages can irritate eyes, damage lungs and destroy photosynthesis. By using recycled material for products instead of new materials, as done in the study, the impacts could be lower. As some previous studies agrees, the usage of bio-plastics lowers the environmental impact by a few percentages.  The bioplastic is an environmentally sustainable option to the current plastic as the location of the panel is not sensitive to excessive heat.

The fire department depends on the fire apparatus to support the many roles firefighters fulfill in the community. The instrument panel of the fire apparatus is the primary man-machine interface for controlling the vehicle. The instrument panel contains many gauges and controls for the numerous features of the apparatus. This research reflects the investigation of how the fire apparatus instrument panel is used by the Atlanta Fire Department. Research involves an immersive study observing the Atlanta firefighters. Surveys and a design critique were developed to obtained firefighter feedback. A comparison of similar tasks was completed to Based on the feedback from fire apparatus drivers and captains design concepts were developed. Concepts are desiged to help the driver and the captain of the apparatus.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka det framtida användandet av instrumentpanelen i autonoma personbilar. En lösning presenteras där interiören liknar en tågkupé med säten vända mot varandra kring den nya instrumentpanelen utformad som ett multifunktionellt bord. Genom att undersöka vad konsumenter från fyra olika målgrupper ville sysselsätta sig med i en nivå fem autonom personbil kunde funktioner såsom bildskärmar, tangentbord och förvaringsmöjligheter inkluderas i den nya instrumentpanelen.   För insamling av empiri användes både kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder där semistrukturerade intervjuer och en enkätundersökning genomfördes. Båda metoderna riktade sig till fyra målgrupper av konsumenter: Studenter, barnfamiljer, kortvägspendlare samt resande säljare. För att samla in mycket information på kort tid utfördes metoderna samtidigt och båda metoderna användes för att validera resultatet.   Genom analysen av empirin hittades gemensamma intressen mellan målgrupperna, i båda metoderna, och sammanställde dessa till kundönskemål. Resultatet av analysen visar bland annat att passagerare i autonoma fordon vill ha bra möjligheter till att arbeta, lyssna på musik, docka telefon, laptop eller surfplatta till inbyggda skärmar i bilen samt läsa och skriva email. Det önskas hållare för drycker, avlastningsytor för mat samt kyld förvaring.   Intervjuer med experter från branschen genomfördes för att bistå med utformning- och säkerhetskrav som tillsammans med kundönskemålen gav ett underlag för att generera koncept. Innan konceptegenereringsfasen påbörjades gjordes en brainstorming för att diskutera tekniska lösningar till de framtagna önskemålen. De framtagna koncepten utvärderades med metoden för Pughs konceptvalsmatris där de mättes mot ett referenskoncept. Ett vinnande koncept kunde efter förbättringar utses och presenteras med skisser, produktbeskrivning samt en produktspecifikation.  Arbetet begränsades till att fokusera på att uppfylla kundönskemålen och lämnar många krav runt säkerhet åt framtida vidareutveckling av konceptet. / Contents of this bachelor’s thesis are written in Swedish.  The purpose of this study was to investigate the future use of the instrument panel in autonomous cars. A solution is presented in which the interior resembles a train compartment with seats facing each other around the new instrument panel designed as a multifunctional table. By examining what consumers from four different target groups would want to engage themselves with in a level five autonomous car, features such as monitors, keyboards and storage facilities was included in the new instrument panel.  For the gathering of empirical data, qualitative and quantitative methods was used, where both semi-structured interviews and a survey was conducted. Both methods addressed four target groups of consumers: students, families with children, short-distance commuters and traveling salespersons. To collect much information in a short period of time, the methods were performed simultaneously and both methods were used to validate the result.  The empirical analysis found common interests between the target groups, in both methods and compiled these into customer requests. The result of the analysis shows, among other things, that passengers in autonomous cars want good opportunities to work, listen to music, dock their phone, laptop or tablet too built-in monitors in the car as well as read and write email. They desired holder for drinks, relief surfaces when eating food as well as refrigerated storage.  Interviews with industry experts were conducted to complement with design and safety requirements that, together with customer requests, provided a basis for generating concepts. Before the start of the concept generating phase, a brainstorming was conducted to discuss technical solutions to the desired customer requests. The final concepts were evaluated using the method of Pugh Concept Selection, where they were compared against a reference concept. A winning concept was, after improvements, presented with sketches, product description and a product specification.  The work was limited to focusing on meeting customer requests and leaving many requirements for personal safety to future, further development of the concept.