Minnesota Reliability Consortium, IEEE Reliability Society Twin Cities Section CH04063 Chapter RL07

January 16, 2018 meeting held at Crane Engineering, Plymouth, MN

Topic: Motor Vehicle Technology Trends–Forensic Engineering in the Approaching Age of Autonomous Vehicles

From the time of its conception the automobile as we know it has been gradually evolving. Currently, there are various vehicle control systems in place, primarily designed to help the driver arrive at their destination in a safe manner. These can be found in a modern vehicle in the form of Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), and Lane Departure Warning; all which aim to keep a vehicle on track in the event of an emergency and ultimately lessen the potential consequences of human error. Since more than 35,000 people die each year on American roads, largely due to human error (which is behind 94% of collisions), it should be no surprise that eliminating the human aspect of driving will inevitably save lives.

But with technological advancements often come challenges. In this case, they range from the physical like making sure that our infrastructure is compliant and one that driverless vehicles can “see”, to the digital like keeping these “telecommunication networks on wheels” 100% cybersecure. The latter having potentially grave implications such as remote vehicle theft or hijacking of vital safety systems.

The presentation and discussion, led by Luis C. Flores, PE of Crane Engineering, focused on explaining different vehicle technologies available today and how they are working in unison to morph into what will eventually become the fully autonomous vehicle. He covered the impact of these technological advances from the investigation standpoint and potential theories of liability, addressing questions like: What are the liability implications of autonomous vehicles? How will they impact the insurance and legal industry? How will they impact forensic investigations? Case studies were used to illustrate some concepts.

While the technology may have evolved, the scientific methodology behind future investigations will remain intact and continue to rely on factual evidence.

Crane Engineering provides expert forensic engineering services for industrial applications, insurance subrogation and product liability litigation. Divisions include forensic engineering, consulting engineering and laboratory services, fire science, building science, data forensics, motor vehicle testing, and accident investigation and reconstruction. Crane Engineering also has in-house laboratory services, including a low-vacuum SEM/EDS, a metallurgy lab, and consulting chemistry and chemical laboratory.

For over 20 years the Twin Cities Chapter of the IEEE Reliability Society has functioned as the Minnesota Reliability Consortium. We work with and welcome members of other professional societies and colleges to join with us as we strive to further the practice and art of reliability engineering in the Greater Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota areas.

Our February meeting will be on Packaging For Transportation: Inherent Risks and Mitigation Strategies hosted by DDL, Inc.

The revolution in the logistics in response to living in an age where everything must be faster and work the first time has created inherent risks that must be addressed. We will learn of these new risks and of mitigation strategies, and review a typical study structure for a regulatory body submission as it relates to testing of medical devices and combination products.

Our March meeting will be on No MTBF. Did you know that the MTBF of a human is 800 years?