| Automotive Research Center | ||||||
Joint venture taps combined research might of universities, private industry, and U.S. Government In the fall of 1994, the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command (TACOM) awarded MEAM a three-year, $7.5 million research grant to establish an Automotive Research Center (ARC) at the U-M. The university responded with an additional $800,000 commitment to the landmark undertaking which brings together five universities, many of the premier firms in the civilian and military ground vehicle industry, and the federal government. The overall goal of the center is to develop research-level computer simulations and mathematical tools that can be used to design vehicles ranging from tanks and heavy trucks to automobiles. The center also is developing human-machine interaction models for use in operator training and to provide new insights into how a driver reacts to a vehicleÍs performance. Center researchers project that the sophisticated simulations and models now being developed will make it possible for manufacturers to reduce costs and design cycle time, and even eliminate the need for hardware prototypes. While many first year operations focused on pre-production activities-assembling project teams, defining analytical models, recruiting industry partners, and establishing production timelines-the center still managed to initiate over 30 individual projects directly related to ground vehicle design, development and manufacturing. Among the projects already up and running is a world-class engine test cell with adjacent control rooms capable of steady state and transient performance and emissions analysis of a 14-liter, 400 hp diesel engine.
As part of its first year activities, the ARC, which is housed in the Walter E. Lay Automotive Laboratory, hosted a steady flow of visitors from U.S. industry. Several of these visits resulted in immediate research projects, including a few (e.g., spark ignition and gasoline fuel additive studies) that are complementary to the existing ARC projects. Many other projects are in various stages of negotiation. Technology developed in the center is transferred to both the military and the private sector. To facilitate this, every research project team includes university faculty and students, industry and TACOM representatives. Similarly, ARC by-laws are designed to encourage technology transfer, including: (1) a non-exclusive, royalty-free license for internal use only; (2) a royalty-bearing license for purposes of commercialization; (3) options for the establishment of start-up companies; (4) consideration of equity in lieu of royalties; and (5) other options as appropriate.
ARC research efforts fall into four broad categories: Vehicle Hardware/Human Interface Simulation (Leader: Edward Haug, University of Iowa); Modeling and Simulation of Vehicle Structures (Leader: Christophe Pierre, MEAM); Advanced Propulsion Simulation (Leader: Naeim Henein, Wayne State University); and System Integration: Issues and Design (Leader: Greg Hulbert, MEAM). MEAM Chair, Panos Papalambros, is director of the ARC. Professor Dionissios (Dennis) Assanis served as the centerÍs acting director during PapalambrosÍ 1995 Fall term Sabbatical. Any U.S. company that manufactures ground vehicles or related components, materials, or software is eligible for ARC membership. There is no membership fee for industrial participants. The sole cost of participation is an agreement to make in-kind contributions of manpower, equipment, software, or services to center projects in which participants are involved or interested. In addition to receiving preferential access to center intellectual property, ARC industry members have direct input into the content and direction of the research program.
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