Abstract
At an age where medical marvels have enhanced the human life, technology that helps ease into the problems faced by the elderly are needed to be looked into.
The design and research of the vehicle deals with various applicable concepts towards making a vehicle that is more and easily accessible by the aged and the healthy alike. This is a solution to today’s problem of driving in congested cities with better fuel economy, accessibility and performance.
A retractable roof that moves sequentially backwards allowing passengers to just “walk in” to the car instead of bending themselves and cramping them into the seats. The doors accompany the roof and retract forwards by sliding across the wind shield on passenger proximity. Both the roof and the doors work with RFID sensors and actuators that are activated as the car is unlocked by the remote and as the passengers approach the doors.
The seats swivel outwards and move out enhancing the passengers’ ease to sit while going inwards and settling in to the car. They rotate back facing the front once the passenger is seated comfortably. It also performs the same operation to ease the disembarkation of the passengers and for an effortless stepping-out sequence.
There is a provision for sideways drive mechanism that is operated by an auxiliary motor. The mechanism elevates the chassis and in-turn the vehicle by approximately quarter of an inch using hydraulic lifting mechanism that pushes a motor driven, sideways-drive mechanism downwards, as the car is lifted, thus easing parking. It also enables moving in and out of tight spots for manoeuvrability.
A hybrid drive mechanism that unites an electric motor and diesel powered engine which is highly efficient and less on emissions. A hybrid lubrication system with two smaller, highly efficient oil pumps, one electrically driven and the other mechanically powered are also incorporated into the lubrication system that eases cold start and saves power losses in the engine by employing engine speed-independent lubrication.
Proximity safety sensors are incorporated that automatically prevent mishaps by regulating the velocity of the car depending upon the nearness to other vehicles in the front and sides that are changing their lanes as an anti-collision safety feature.
The vehicle has a combination of Wi-Fi and RFID enabled communication systems that enable it to form a sort of an online community with other users and interacts with them and their users for various activities. For instance, when one user is going to a supermarket or a movie, it invites other users nearby for their involvement in associative group activities.
Keywords: Sliding doors, Swivel seats, 3D Drive, Communicating car, Dual Lubrication System