THE INTEGRATED RESEARCH VEHICLE UNI-CAR IS THE RESULT OF A FOUR-YEAR COOPERATIVE EFFORT AMONG FOUR WEST GERMAN UNIVERSITIES. THE FOLLOWING WERE THE POINTS OF EMPHASIS FOR THE RESEARCH PERFORMED: - ENERGY SAVINGS - NOISE REDUCTION - SAFETY IMPROVEMENT. BY VIRTUE OF ITS SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD, THE INSTITUTE FOR AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING OF THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF BERLIN WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AREA OF SAFETY. ALMOST 50 PERCENT OF PERSONS KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN WEST GERMANY ARE EITHER PEDESTRIANS OR CYCLISTS. THIS SITUATION HAS BEEN FULLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT BY THE SAFETY CONCEPT OF THE UNI-CAR. EXTENSIVE PROTECTION HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS BY THE GEOMETRICAL DESIGN AND THE USE OF SOFT MATERIALS (FOAM) FOR THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. AERODYNAMIC REQUIREMENTS WERE ALSO ABLE TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THIS CONCEPT. THE CONFIGURATION WAS PROVIDED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT PROTECTIVE CRITERIA WERE OBSERVED UP TO 50 PERCENT IN CASES OF COLLISION SPEEDS OF 45 KM/H (28 MPH). A SECOND FOCAL POINT IN THE SAFETY CONCEPT OF THE UNI-CAR WAS SIDE PROTECTION: THE SIDE IMPACT IS ONE OF THE DOMINANT COLLISION TYPES, ESPECIALLY IN CITY TRAFFIC. APPROXIMATELY 20 PERCENT OF ALL DEATHS AMONG CAR PASSENGERS RESULT FROM CARS STRUCK FROM THE SIDE; THEIR NUMBER AMOUNTS TO APPROXIMATELY 10 PERCENT OF ALL TRAFFIC DEATHS. THE TEST VELOCITY FOR THE CAR-TO-CAR SIDE COLLISION WAS SET AT 50 KM/H (31 MPH). THIS SPEED WOULD INCLUDE 75 PERCENT OF ALL SIDE CRASHES RESULTING IN INJURIES. VERIFIED MEASURES WERE EMPLOYED TO PROVE THAT THE OFFICIALLY STIPULATED SAFETY GAIN OF APPROXIMATELY 30 PER CENT WAS ACHIEVED. SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS CHOSEN ARE NOT YET READY FOR MASS PRODUCTION. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 802816.
Samenvatting