Experienced motorcyclists know the road is unforgiving. One mistake and a rider can lose control and fall causing damage to the bike and bruises, broken bones, or more serious injuries to the rider.
Because motorcycle crashes are so dangerous, the team of Gustavo Hernandez, Naomi Folta, Shawn McElwain, Alberto Perez Nunez, Richard Regalado chose to develop the Vehicle Lean Recovery System (VLRS) for their Senior Design Project. On Monday, April 10 they presented their project at the Undergraduate Research Celebration.
“We hope the system will help novice riders regain control of their motorcycle during a turn, whether it is because of an excessive lean angle or loss of traction,” said team lead Gustavo Hernandez. “The system acts as a third point of contact on the road and prevents the frame of the bike from hitting the road.”
The team’s main goals are to prevent property damage, injury, and even death. They hope the VLRS will increase safety and allow motorcycle riders to gain experience and learn the behavior of their bikes.
After the team conducted a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) study to determine the market they explored three design concepts: recovery arms; a shifting center of mass; and flywheels. The retractable recovery arm was designed as three pieces, which slide on top of one another. Two motors per arm drive each piece to control the position. The center piece houses the other two members and is slotted for a worm gear.
The team tested the recovery arm design by using a Gazebo Robot simulator on the complex motorcycle model, with a control system developed for the static case. The simulation aimed to test design feasibility and simultaneously measure various parameters. Consistent with the requirements, the VLRS must constantly react to varying lean angles, speed, road conditions, and other dynamic parameters. This capability addresses concerns identified in the MVP survey, which were to prevent rollover for riders of all skill levels.
The final project will be presented as part of the Mechanical Engineering Department’s first Capstone Day on May 11, 2017.
The project was sponsored by the Volgenau School of Engineering. The team’s technical advisors were: Daniel Lofaro, assistant professor; James Diaz-Gonzales, adjunct professor. Team Members for the project are: Gustavo Hernandez, team lead; Naomi Folta; Shawn McElwain; Alberto Perez Nunez; Richard Regalado