Design and Realization of an All-terrain Unmanned Ground Vehicle

Dirt Bikes and All Terrain Vehicles: The Real Threat to Pediatric Kidneys

Two units of all terrain vehicles (ATV) have been designed and developed by 3rd year automotive students of Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FME), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM). The purposes of this project are to design and develop low cost ATVs. The students have to organize themselves to design and build the ATVs within budget constraint. This project emphasizes on the practical and engineering applications of the subjects Vehicle Dynamics and Automotive Technology which are taken by the students within the same semester (Semester II, Session 2012/2013). The students have all the freedom in deciding the specifications of the ATVs. A 110 cc 4 strokes motorcycle engine is used for the powertrain. Design and analysis of the components are performed using commercial computer aided design (CAD) software. Basic fabrication processes such as cutting, fitting and welding are carried out by the students. The ATVs are evaluated based on functionality and design. The low cost conceptual ATVs have been successfully designed, developed and tested. With further development and research, the ATVs are subjected for improvement. The sustainability of the design and development of the ATVs depends on the material selection, design criteria and components availability.

From 2001 to 2013, over 181 people have died in quad bike (commonly referred to as All Terrain Vehicles or ATVs in the USA) incidents in Australia; 45% of fatalities are work related and 55% are from recreational use. Quad bikes are the leading cause of injury and death on Australian farms. In 2011 alone, there were 23 quad bike related fatalities and 18 of these occurred on a farm. Deaths due to rollover account for about half of the quad bike fatalities and 90% of rollover deaths occur on farms. The Heads of Workplace Health and Safety (HWSA) Trans-Tasman Working-Party on ‘Quad Bike Safety’ inquired whether it was: “… reasonably practicable for a device to be developed that when fitted to quad bike reduces the potential for death and/or serious injury caused by entrapment beneath an overturned vehicle? ” The options which have been considered to protect riders in the event of a quad bike rollover are: Personal protective equipment; Active riding; Crush Protection Devices (CPD); Roll Over Protective Structures (ROPS) without restraint; and ROPS with restraint. Post rollover entrapment of the torso by a quad bike can result in mechanical asphyxia. 9,600 simulations (6 x 1,600) using PC-Crash were conducted to comparatively evaluate quad bike rollovers which could result in mechanical asphyxiation. The simulations illustrate the effectiveness and benefits of CPD (Quadbar or Lifeguard); ROPS without restraint and ROPS with restraint (Polaris Sportsman Ace) over the basic quad bike in terms of the rider being entrapped beneath an overturned quad bike and mechanically asphyxiated post rollover.

Mobile and aerial robots offer many potential applications, including warehouse logistics, surveillance, cinematography, and search and rescue. However, most such robots are task-specific and generally need more versatility to tackle multiple scenarios, terrains, and unstructured, dynamic environments. This paper presents the Omnirotor platform, a versatile, multi-modal, coaxial, tilt-rotor, all-terrain vehicle that combines an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) into a hybrid, all-terrain vehicle. The Omnirotor has two locomotion modes of operation (aerial and ground vehicle) and five operation configurations, as it can fly both in the normal and inverted configurations, and it can drive on the ground both in the normal and inverted configurations. It can also recover from any non-operational state to its normal, upside-down configuration. Moreover, in addition to the locomotion modes, the continuous omnidirectional thrust vectoring enables the Omnirotor platform to perform complex manipulation of objects. This work introduces the concept and discusses in detail the design, development, and experimental validation of the Omnirotor platform. In particular, it discusses the modeling and control schemes required by the different operation modes and configurations. It experimentally validates the platform’s capabilities with experiments focusing on traversing challenging environments and unstructured, uneven terrains (e.g., a public park). Finally, the platform’s ground, pushing-based manipulation capabilities are demonstrated through the execution of a puzzle-solving experiment where the solved puzzle serves as a landing platform for the all-terrain vehicle. The versatility of Omnirotor offers exciting prospects for use in challenging search-and-rescue scenarios, surveillance, and aerial and ground manipulation applications.

The growing popularity of using all terrain vehicles (ATVs) for leisure has become an important issue for both existing and planned trails. A contingent trip survey was used to examine the impact of different ATV access levels on trip demand for a proposed trail in the province of Nova Scotia (Canada). Relative to a prohibition on ATVs, permitting their use reduced non-ATV users' expected trips by 48% and their consumer surplus by 41%. Depending on ATV access level and travel cost, total consumer surplus ranges from approximately $1million (M) Canadian dollars ($C) to $C4M and between C$9.19 and C$26.89 per trip. Trip demand is also weakly related to trail surface, particularly for potential commuters. We suggest that the trail be implemented as a paved pathway in the central core where the population is most dense and that ATV use be prohibited on this portion. A gravel-based shared-use path with controlled ATV use is recommended for the eastern end of the trail where the population is of much less density and where non-ATV use will likely be low.

All terrain vehicles (ATVs) are a popular form of transportation and recreation for youth. ATVs are also convenient for farm-related activities. However, the impact of the farming environment on ATV-related injuries is not clear. To determine differences in ATV-related behaviors, exposures, risk factors, and injuries between farm youth and their nonfarm peers. A cross-sectional study design was used. A survey was administered to 652 youths in agricultural education programs throughout the state of Arkansas. A majority (60%) of students have operated ATVs within the past month. Cross tabulations found that farm youth who rode ATVs were more likely to be white and male, to own a 3-wheel ATV, and to ride more often with a single rider. Risk factors for sustaining an ATV-related injury were frequency of use and the number of persons on the ATV. Study findings suggest that ATV use among farm youth does differ from their nonfarm peers. ATV use among all youth is a safety concern in Arkansas because of the behaviors and exposures that the youth cited.

Objectives—To describe all terrain vehicle (ATV) ownership, access, use, and safety behaviours in rural Manitoba children. Methods—Questionnaire administered to a convenience sample of grade 6 students attending an agricultural fair....

In the area of research on unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), one major problem is limited operating duration of robotics vehicles due to energy losses. There is a need for systematic analysis of locomotion and energy dynamics, which would enable an efficient design of the vehicle. For this purpose, a multifunction simulator tool is required which can read several input variables that describe the vehicle and compute detailed analysis of its energy dynamics. This research presents a generic locomotion simulator for a UGV (SimUGV). SimUGV's goal is to help vehicle designers develop efficient vehicles by optimizing design variables to minimize the energy losses for the vehicle. SimUGV has a powerful GUI interface which allows users to compare multiple test runs and visualize the data in a variety of ways. To illustrate the capabilities of the simulator, we present a case study conducted on the energy dynamics of a skid steering robotic vehicle. Two major constituent components of energy losses/consumption for a skid steering vehicle are - losses in skid steer turning, and losses in rolling. Using SimUGV, we present a detailed energy loss analysis of the vehicle's different turning modes; elastic mode steering, half-slip steering, skid turns, low radius turns, and zero radius turns. Each of the energy loss components is modeled from physics in terms of the design variables. The effect of design variables on the total energy losses/consumption is then studied using simulated data for different types of surfaces i.e. hard surfaces and muddy surfaces. Finally, we make suggestions about efficient vehicle design choices in terms of the design variables.

All terrain vehicle (ATV) use is increasing at a rapid pace in settings without proper safety regulations. Aim: To define injury patterns, impairments, and outcomes among patients injured in ATV crashes; to determine prevalence of protective equipment use; and to define the potential role of injury prevention in addressing the problem. Methods: During a recent 10 month period, 56 patients were reported as injured in ATV crashes seriously enough to require admission and were prospectively entered into a study-specific database. Patient demographics, site of crash, prior ATV experience, and use of safety equipment were recorded. Injuries were characterized by body system and tabulated. Outcomes, including deaths and impairments, were defined. Results: There were 47 males (84%) and 9 females (16%). Most injuries occurred in patients older than 18 years, but 20% occurred in children less than 14 years of age. Helmet use was confirmed in 12%. Three patients died (5% mortality). Significant disability occurred in 19 patients (34%) and was permanent in 4 (7%). Head, face and musculoskeletal injuries were most common. Conclusions: ATV crashes can cause serious injuries including death and permanent disability. The lack of awareness of the injury potential for this popular recreational activity has escalated the risk of injury, and the absence of safety programs and regulations has further aggravated the problem. Based on these data, a public education program, compulsory use of helmets and other protective clothing, and penalties for non-compliance should be implemented. Interventions at recreation sites and the point of ATV sale may be most beneficial. Language: en

When a vehicle travels over a large obstacle at a significant speed, dynamic loads are created that are severe enough to cause damage to its components. Prediction of these impact loads early in the design can greatly aid the vehicle development process. Thus, automobile manufactures have devoted considerable effort developing computer models to simulate durability events. An important part of any durability simulation is the tire model. This paper focuses on the problem of efficiently predicting dynamic loads that occur when an all terrain vehicle (ATV) impacts obstacle impact. An ATV simulation model that uses an efficient and simple tire model to represent the enveloping behavior and dynamic response was developed with the AUTOSIM multibody dynamics program. This program, using Kane's Method and symbolic algebra to automatically generate fully parametric simulations that are both efficient and easy to use, was used to model both the tire and ATV rigid body dynamics. This paper describes the combined ATV multi‐body vehicle dynamics and tire simulation. To demonstrate the effectiveness of tire simulation, results from the efficient tire model isolated from the vehicle are compared to output from a nonlinear finite element model. Also, the paper compares results from the full vehicle ATV simulation and a field test.

The previously fabricated all terrain vehicle (ATV) chassis and components' designs are further analyzed. The analysis consider the weight distribution ratio during acceleration and braking for the ATV components namely wishbone arm, swing arm and shaft. Preliminary analysis of torsion and static are also performed on the chassis and components. The analysis is performed using commercial computer aided design (CAD) software. The results show good data in term of factor of safety. With further development and research, the ATVs are subjected for improvement. The sustainability of the design and development of the ATVs depends on the material selection, design criteria and components availability.

QuestionsIncreases in all‐terrain vehicle (ATV) use on dunes raises concerns about an ecosystem vital for coastal protection. We asked: with distance from trails, what are the effects of ATV use on (a) total, native, and non‐native plant species richness and (b) presence and cover of the dune‐stabilising plant Ammophila breviligulata? Specifically, how do (a) and (b) differ (1) between regions with and without ATV use; (2) with deeper ruts and increased distance from the ATV trail; and (3) between pioneer and shrub zones of dunes in each region?LocationMiscou Island and Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick, Canada.MethodsWe assessed ATV effects by conducting field vegetation surveys in a region with (Miscou Island) and without (Kouchibouguac National Park) ATV use. Line transects were used to capture gradients of effects across the dune community via plots evenly placed to measure trail effects (on the trail), close‐edge effects (edge of the trail), and distant‐edge effects (every 5 m up to 25 m away from trail), in pioneer and shrub zones of dunes.ResultsAll‐terrain vehicle rut depth was associated with a decrease in total and native species on the trails and on the edge of trails, and with a slight increase in non‐native species beyond the trail edge. We also found a rut depth threshold of approximately 50 cm, beyond which was an abrupt decline across all species. Where ATV activity occurred, there was also a decrease of A. breviligulata in presence and cover, non‐native species increased in the pioneer zone, and the shrub zone had fewer native species.ConclusionsAll‐terrain vehicle use plays a major role in the vegetation changes observed on coastal dunes. A management plan that recognises the specific effects caused by ATV use on dune vegetation will help preserve dunes, enabling more cost‐effective coastal protection than engineered interventions.

This paper describes an improved decision and planning algorithm based on our previously proposed methods for unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). The new method can be applied to UGV driving both in structured environment and unstructured environment. In the improved method, the prospect of planning is extended from 40m to 100m for safe driving at high speed and some piecewise linear speed functions are designed for the new prospect. After this improvement our UGV now can drive at a maximum speed of 60km/h rather than 40km/h while avoiding obstacles safely. Besides, a velocity feedforward control is added to make the UGV overtake other cars driving at about 25km/h on the road. At last, the collision detection algorithm is improved to make the lane changing maneuver safer. The proposed decision and planning algorithm is implemented both on our old Polaris all terrain vehicle (ATV) and new FAW-H7 car, which exhibited good performance on Across Dangers & Obstacles 2016, Tahe, China and Future Challenge 2016, Changshu, China, respectively.

Use of all‐terrain vehicles (ATVs) in vulnerable environments may cause vegetation and soil erosion that will last for a long time. In northern parts of Norway, the growing use of ATVs off‐road has made considerable damage to the environment. In Troms County, the Norwegian Army has exercise and shooting ranges (battlefields) where there has been extensive use of light, medium and heavy armored military vehicles and ATVs for decades. The main objective of this study has been to test the feasibility of high spatial resolution satellite imagery as Ikonos and Quickbird in combination with fieldwork to detect tracks and damage caused by heavy armoured military vehicles (tanks) as well as medium and light ATVs. Applying simple image processing techniques, this study showed that larger parts of these areas were influenced and even small tracks and minor damage on the vegetation caused by small ATVs were easily detected. The total length of the tracks within the battlefields was calculated to be c. 1000 km. Using a zone of damage/influence of 50 m on each side of the tracks, the damaged and/or influenced area by ATVs was estimated to cover 56 km2 (17 per cent) of the total area of 334 km2. The conclusion of this study is that high‐resolution optical satellite images are well suited for surveying damage on the vegetation caused by terrain vehicles in northern Norway. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Background All terrain vehicles (ATVs) have grown in size and speed, and contribute significantly to pediatric trauma injuries. We compared pediatric ATV and All Trauma injuries, and sought to determine if there has been an improvement in ATV safety. Methods We reviewed the CMCD Trauma Registry for all ATV injuries from 2007–2011, and compared data with data previously compiled for All Trauma admissions from 2006 to 2008. Results There were 197 ATV and 4473 All Trauma admissions. The two groups differed in that the ATV group had a greater number of transfers from outside hospitals, trauma activations, Injury Severity Score, and need for operation. Mortality was 0.5% for ATV and 1.3% for All Trauma injuries. 51% of children ≤10 years were drivers; only 18% wore helmets. Conclusion ATV admissions are associated with higher acuity injuries than All Trauma admissions. Pediatric ATV safety does not appear to have improved; efforts should be refocused to improve it.