The topcoat color of motor vehicles offers vital information while investigating vehicular accidents, especially in instance of hit-and-run, since witnesses seldom perceive and retain the plate details. Differences in color perceptions among individuals with normal vision may lead to confusion in determining the color of the car involved. In this way, witnesses of crash accidents could potentially initiate flawed leads in forensic investigation, and thus affect the administration of justice. In this study, the inter-rater reliability of vehicle color determination by different volunteers was explored. Six individuals observed the topcoat colors of 500 stationary and 500 moving vehicles from five locations, employing a common system of color gradation. The outcome was binary: the vehicle color was either a "match" or "non-match". This was followed by statistical analysis in terms of the colors' frequencies and inter-rater reliability, based on which more suitable color descriptions were determined for subsequent comparisons of stationary and moving vehicles. Higher match frequencies and greater inter-rater reliability were observed when color gradations were disregarded. The frequency of correct matches could have been closely related to their relative on-the-road distribution, regardless of the statuses of observed vehicles. It was also found that black and white were associated with a greater number of matches than were intermediate colors, which should be carefully interpreted during forensic investigation to avoid wrong leads. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the forensic significance of vehicle topcoat color determination, particularly in cases where witness statements are crucial.
Recently, license plate detection has been used in many applications especially in transportation systems. Many methods have been proposed in order to detect license plates, but most of them work under restricted conditions such as fixed illumination, stationary background, and high resolution images. License plate detection plays an important role in car license plate recognition systems because it affects the accuracy and processing time of the system. This work aims to build a Car License Plate Detection (CLPD) system at a lower cost of its hardware devices and with less complexity of algorithms’ design, and then compare its performance with the local CAR Plate Extraction Technology (CARPET). As Malaysian plates have special design and they differ from other international plates, this work tries to compare two likely-design methods. The images are taken using a web camera for both the systems. One of the most important contributions in this paper is that the proposed CLPD method uses Vertical Edge Detection Algorithm (VEDA) to extract the vertical edges of plates. The proposed CLPD method can work to detect the region of car license plates. The method shows the total time of processing one 352x288 image is 47.7 ms, and it meets the requirement of real time processing. Under the experiment datasets, which were taken from real scenes, 579 out of 643 images were successfully detected. Meanwhile, the average accuracy of locating car license plate was 90%. In this work, a comparison between CARPET and the proposed CLPD method for the same tested images was done in terms of detection rate and efficiency. The results indicated that the detection rate was 92% and 84% for the CLPD method and CARPET, respectively. The results also showed that the CLPD method could work using dark images to detect license plates, whereas CARPET had failed to do so.
With the rising concern about climate change, there has been an increased public awareness that has resulted in new government policies to support scientific research for mitigating these problems. Malaysia is among the major energy-intense countries and is under an excessive burden to advance its energy efficiency and to also work towards the reduction of its carbon emission. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have the potential to lessen the carbon emission and gasoline consumption in order to alleviate environmental problems. Most of the energy problems linked to the increasing transportation pollution are now being reduced with the solution of the adoption of PHEVs. PHEVs are seen as a solution to cut carbon emission, which prevents environmental damages. Furthermore, PHEVs' driving range and performance can be comparable to the other hybrid vehicles as well as the conventional IC engines that have gasoline and diesel tanks. Thus, many efforts are being initiated to promote the use of PHEVs as an innovative and affordable transportation system. In order to achieve making the consumers aware of the adoption of PHEVs, we used a model which is based on the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB). This review is based on the factors affecting the adoption of PHEVs among Malaysian consumers. The model takes into account the ten key features that influence the adoption of PHEVs, such as environmental concern, personal norm, attitude, vehicle ownership costs, driving range, charging time, intention, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and personal norm. All these constructs are drivers towards the adoption of PHEVs. These factors affect the relationship between the adoption of PHEVs and how consumers intend to protect the environment. This review is based on improving how the "attitude-action" gap is understood as it is an important element for further studies on PHEVs. The aim of the research is to come up with a framework that examines how to modify the consumer's environmental concerns in acquiring PHEVs. This will pave the way for more academic research and future works that can emphasize how to obtain empirical results. The authors' recommendation is that, before a consumer's behavior is assessed and considered, an observation of the current technology is needed with methods and knowledge of the existing technology adoption aspect.
Recycling automotive waste has increasingly become an alternative solution towards producing sustainable materials given the rising issue of raw material shortages and waste management challenges at global level. The improper end-of-life vehicle (ELV) waste management poses detrimental impacts on the environment. This paper proposes a novel method to develop thermal insulation sandwich panels using ELV waste, motivated by the critical needs of creating high-performance thermal insulation for buildings. Six sandwich panels (P1-P6) of different weight and ratio of shredded ELV particles were manufactured. The sandwich panels structure was made of three layers: a core, and a glass face sheet bonded to each side. The core structure composed of Polycarbonate (PC) from headlamp lenses and polyurethane (PU) from seat, bonded using resin casting approach. Thermal conductivity of the samples was measured using guarded hot-plate apparatus. Results corroborated that thermal conductivity of ELV-based sandwich panels reduced remarkably compared to panel without ELVs, recorded at 15.51% reduction. Composition gives the best thermal performance was made of mixed ELV core materials of ratio 50%PC:50%PU, it has a thermal conductivity value of 0.1776 W/mK. The transparency data were obtained using Haze-gard plus haze meter. The best luminous transmittance value was exhibited by P2 (100% PC), 67.47%. The best clarity value and haze value were shown by P6 (25% PC: 75% PU), 55.13% and 52.6% respectively. ELV waste can be recycled to develop useful sustainable thermal insulation to improve thermal and optical transparency performance of buildings as a substitute for conventional materials which have a relevance for future façade concepts.
Automobile, aerospace, and shipbuilding industries are looking for lightweight materials for cost effective manufacturing which demands the welding of dissimilar alloy materials. In this study, the effect of tool rotational speed, welding speed, tilt angle, and pin depth on the weld joint were investigated. Aluminum 5052 and 304 stainless-steel alloys were joined by friction stir welding in a lap configuration. The design of the experiments was based on Taguchi's orthogonal array for conducting the experiments with four factors and three levels for each factor. The microstructural analysis showed tunnel defects, micro voids, and cracks which formed with 0° and 1.5° tilt angles. The defects were eliminated when the tilt angle increased to 2.5° and a mixed stir zone was formed with intermetallic compounds. The presence of the intermetallic compounds increased with the increase in tilt angle and pin depth which further resulted in obtaining a defect-free weld. Hooks were formed on either side of the weld zone creating a mechanical link for the joint. A Vickers hardness value of HV 635.46 was achieved in the mixed stir zone with 1000 rpm, 20 mm/min, and 4.2 mm pin depth with a tilt angle of 2.5°, which increased by three times compared to the hardness of SS 304 steel. The maximum shear strength achieved with 800 rpm, 40 mm/min, and a 4.3 mm pin depth with a tilt angle of 2.5° was 3.18 kN.
The relationship between typicality and novelty was discussed in order to identify the significant emotional value arising in the compact car design of Malaysian manufacturers. Typicality and novelty usually are associated with the aesthetic preference of human artefacts as in this study in compact car design. Considering a typical product is rarely new and, conversely, a novel product often labelled as typical, the positive effects of both features seem incompatible. This paper discusses the history of the Malaysian manufacturer’s compact car design according to its timeline and the current market based on its model and achievement. Furthermore, the relationship between compact car design such as the limitation of emotional value arising through typicality and novelty of specific compact car design and how it triggers the user’s perception through its aesthetics form. Hence, a pilot study was conducted to validate a set of stimulus and questionnaires as a way to formulate an actual survey. Finally, the outcome of this study will suggest a way forward in exploring typicality and novelty through a reliable method of compact car design
The purpose of this study was to determine the indoor air quality (IAQ) status of an automotive assembly plant in Rawang, Selangor, Malaysia using selected IAQ parameters, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), temperature, relative humidity (RH) and respirable particulate matter (PM10). A cross-sectional study was conducted in the paint shop and body shop sections of the plant in March 2005. The Q-TRAK Plus IAQ Monitor was used to record the patterns of CO, CO2, RH and temperature; whilst PM10 was measured using DUSTTRAK Aerosol Monitor over an 8-hour time weight average (8-TWA). It was found that the average temperatures, RH and PM10 in the paint shop section and body shop sections exceeded the Department of Safety and Health (DOSH) standards. The average concentrations of RH and CO were slightly higher in the body shop section than in the paint shop section, while the average concentrations of temperature and CO2 were slightly higher in the paint shop section than in the body shop section. There was no difference in the average concentrations of PM10 between the two sections.
Pedestrians' fatality trend in road crashes has been improving in recent years though it remains third in rank behind
motorcyclists and car occupants. Based on the statistics, young pedestrians were the most affected group and the
commonest injury regions were head and legs. Pedestrian crashes occurred primarily in rural areas and straight roads
and at low light environment, and often involve cars and motorcycles. In addition to existing issues of careless and
illegal crossing practices, there are potential new hazards face by pedestrian, which are mobile electronic device use
and electric vehicle, especially when crossing roads. Road safety programs and interventions shall consider these new
issues.
The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) as part of a Worksite Health Promotion Program on self-perceived stress, anxiety and depression among male automotive assembly-line workers through a quasi-experimental trial. Two assembly plants were chosen with one receiving PMR therapy and the other Pamphlets. Intention-to-treat analysis was conducted to test the effectiveness of the relaxation therapy. Stress, Depression and Anxiety levels were measured using the shortened DASS-21 questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, Independent sample t test and Repeated-measures analysis of variance to test the significance of the effects of intervention (time * group) for the measures of Stress, Depression and Anxiety. Significant favourable intervention effects on stress were found in the PMR group (Effect size=0.6) as compared to the Pamphlet group (Effect size=0.2). There was a significant group *time interaction effect (p<0.001) on Stress levels. Depression and Anxiety levels were minimal at baseline in both the groups with mild or no reduction in levels. The improvement in stress levels showed the potential of PMR therapy as a coping strategy at the workplace. Further research in this field is necessary to examine the beneficial effects of coping strategies in the workplace.
Automobile exhaust emission control is one of the trending issues in automobile research field. It caused by high
pollution such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and hydrocarbons (HC) distributed by automobile
especially form diesel engine. These pollutants give a harmful effect to the environment and human health. Therefore,
this paper proposed in reviewing methods on fabrication of modified catalytic converter. FeCrAl is used as substrate
which treated using ultrasonic bath technique which could improve the exhaust emission control. This metallic catalytic converter used as the replacement of precious metal that have high production cost.
Aging is attributed to both genetic and environmental factors. Occupational exposure is one of the environmental factors with potential genotoxic effects. Researchers try to determine factors involved in genetic damages at hazards exposure that could accelerate aging. Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) gene contributes in activation and detoxification of the environmental hazards. This polymorphism plays an important role in susceptibility of inter-individuals to DNA damage at the occupational exposure. The current study evaluated the possible influence of this gene polymorphism in aging by genomic damages through the biomarkers alterations of micronuclei (MN), comet tail length and telomere length shortening at the exposure. In this study, buccal cells were collected from the oral cavity of exposed workers and non-exposed controls. The CYP2E1 genotypes were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The wild genotype significantly affected MN frequency (p = 0.007) and relative telomere length (p = 0.047) in the older group of workers. It was concluded that the interaction of gene polymorphism and exposure enhances DNA damage and accelerates aging consequently.
The last 20 years have seen a tremendous growth in the field of computing with special reference to mobile computing. Ergonomic issues pertaining to this theme remains unexplored. With special reference to readability in mobile computing, an experimental research was conducted to study the gender effect on human performance under the impact of vibration in a human computer interaction environment. Fourteen subjects (7 males and 7 females) participated in the study. Three independent variables, namely gender, level of vibration and screen text/background colour, were selected for the experimental investigation while the dependent variable was the number of characters read per minute. The data collected were analyzed statistically through an experimental design for repeated measures. Results indicated that gender as an organismic variable, the level of vibration and screen text/background colour revealed statistically significant differences. However, the second order interaction was found to be statistically non-significant. These findings are discussed in light of the previous studies undertaken on the topic.
In this article, we have investigated the pattern of road fatality in Brunei. It is seen from this analysis that road fatality in Brunei was one of the highest in the world in the early 1990s, but has been significantly reduced over the years, and is now one of the lowest in the world. Preliminary investigation shows that young male drivers are responsible for most road fatalities in Brunei. We have also fitted a linear regression model and found that road fatality is significantly positively related to people aged 18-24 years and new registered vehicles, both of which are expected to grow with the growth of population and economic development. Hence, road fatality in Brunei is also expected to grow unless additional effective road safety countermeasures are introduced and implemented to reduce road toll. Negative coefficient is observed for trend variable, indicating the reduction of road fatality due to the combined effects of improvements of vehicle safety, road design, medical facilities and road safety awareness among road user groups. However, short-term road fatality analysis based on monthly data indicates that the coefficient of the trend variable is positive, implying that in recent months road fatalities are increasing in Brunei, which is supported by media reports. We have compared Brunei's road fatality data with Australia, Singapore and Malaysia and found that Brunei's road fatality rate is lower than Singapore and Malaysia, but higher than Australia. This indicates that there are still opportunities to reduce road fatalities in Brunei if additional effective road safety strategies are implemented like in Australia without interfering in the economic and social development of Brunei.
In this study, modified polyethersulfone (PES) and cellulose acetate (CA) membranes were used in the treatment of car wash effluent using ultrafiltration. Hydrophilic sulfonated poly ether ether ketone (SPEEK) and bentonite as nanoclay were used as additives for the PES and CA membrane modification. Performances of modified membranes were compared with commercial PES membrane with 10kDa molecular weight cut off (MWCO). The influencing parameters like stirrer speed (250-750rpm) and transmembrane pressure (100-600kPa) (TMP) were varied and their effects were studied as a function of flux. In the treatment of car wash effluent, a higher permeate flux of 52.3L/m(2)h was obtained for modified CA membrane at TMP of 400kPa and stirrer speed of 750rpm. In comparison with modified PES membrane and commercial PES membrane, modified CA membranes showed better performance in terms of flux and flux recovery ratio. The highest COD removal (60%) was obtained for modified CA membrane and a lowest COD removal (47%) was observed for commercial PES membrane. The modified membranes were better at removing COD, turbidity and maintained more stable flux than commercial PES membrane, suggesting they will provide better economic performance in car wash effluent reclamation.
The purpose of this case study is to look at how “Lean Techniques and Principles” can be successfully introduce and implement in the higher education institution or university context. In the last two decades, Lean techniques and principle has been applied to improve production system in manufacturing processes. Lean was introduced in the 1950s by Womack and Jones known as the Toyota Production System (TPS) by the legendary car manufacturer Toyota, the world’s most profitable automaker and have spent decades perfecting lean practices in the production. The method used was to produce more productivity while using fewer resources and identifying activities which creates value for customers, activities which do not create value but are required and actions which do not create value and can be eliminated. This case study demonstrates how “Lean Principles” can be adopted to the administration services particularly in the registration process for new student intake in USIM. The objective of this case study includes : to identify the needs of improving the registration process by eliminating the waste (Muda) such as time wastage, human resource wastage, to introduce the apparatus required to reduce and eliminate waste, to redesign the process using the lean techniques and principles to eliminate waste and to continually improve the process with the goal to achieve perfection for customer satisfaction and university’s reputation. How Lean Principles can transform the work process in the registration procedure, process efficiency, the reasons for implementing Lean in the process, minimize the lead time, minimize the financial cost and the role of management. This paper contains a comprehensive discussion and findings of the development of Lean principles and management through one of the models, namely; Value Stream Mapping (VSM) process which can enhance the operational process in the university environment to improve the process, particularly in the new student registration process.
Most highly motorized countries in the world have implemented different speed limits for light weight and heavy weight vehicles. The heavy vehicle speed limit is usually chosen to be lower than that of passenger cars due to the difficulty for the drivers to safely maneuver the heavy vehicle at high speed and greater impact during a crash. However, in many cases, the speed limit for heavy vehicle is set by only considering the vehicle size or category, mostly due to simplicity in enforcement. In this study, traffic and vehicular data for all vehicle types were collected using a weigh-in-motion system installed at Federal Route 54 in Malaysia. The first finding from the data showed that the weight variation for each vehicle category is considerable. Therefore, the effect of gross vehicle weight (GVW) and category of heavy vehicle on free flow speed and their interaction were analyzed using statistical techniques. Empirical analysis results showed that statistically for each type of heavy vehicle, there was a significant relationship between free flow speed of a heavy vehicle and GVW. Specifically, the results suggest that the mean and variance of free flow speed decrease with an increase GVW by the amount unrelated to size and shape for all GVW range. Then, based on the 85th percentile principle, the study proposed a new concept for setting the speed limit for heavy vehicle by incorporating GVW where a different speed limit is imposed to the heavy vehicle, not only based on vehicle classification, but also according to its GVW.
Lane Change Assistance (LCA) system in cars can potentially mitigate blind spot related crashes; but its effectiveness
largely depends on driver acceptance and proper use. Although still in early stages, the volume of cars equipped with
LCA system is expected torise in the near future as the technology has been considered in the New Car Assessment
Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) 2017 Rating Scheme. Therefore, this study is initiated to assess
user acceptance of and experience with LCA-equipped cars. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to
owners of LCA-equipped cars at selected service centres in the Klang Valley from November 2016 to February 2017.
From a total of 276 valid responses, results revealed that most owners greatly considered LCA system when
purchasing their cars and agreed that the systems had positively altered their driving behaviours i.e. regularly using
the turn signal and checking the side mirrors. Nevertheless, about 20% of the respondents stated theirannoyance and
distraction by the LCA systems due to unnecessary warnings from various sources, aside from getting too many
warnings during traffic congestion. The study findings provide some practical implications that can aid the industry
and relevant stakeholders in gauging the issue and actual situations concerning the use of LCA system in Malaysia.
Most of the automotive companies use cast iron for their engine blocks. Restoration of obliterated number on these iron surfaces by chemical etching is known to be quite difficult. Heating of the obliterated surface using oxyacetylene flame is an alternative recovery treatment suggested in literature and used in practice. However chemical etching has been established to be the most sensitive technique for detection of metal deformation present under stamped serial numbers. Hence, the current work investigated the suitability of some common etchants on cast iron surfaces with a view to determining the most suitable one for revealing the obliterated marks. The reagents tested were mostly copper containing Fry's reagent and its modifications. Two cast iron engine blocks (3.29%C and 3.1%C) of two cars--a Proton Saga and a Toyota--were utilized for the experiments. The engine blocks were cut into several small plates and each plate was stamped with some numerical characters at 8 kN load using Instron Table Mounted Universal Testing Machine. The depth of stamping impression varied between 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm. The stamped number was completely ground off manually using a metal file. The grounded surface was then polished smooth using emery papers and etched with a few selected reagents mostly by swabbing. Experimental results showed that a modified Fry's composition consisting of 4 5g CuCl(2), 100 mL HCl, and 180 mL H(2)O restored the number with better contrast at a reasonably shorter time. The above reagent is a slightly modified form of one of the Fry's original compositions--45 g CuCl(2), 180 mL HCl, and 100 mL H(2)O. Quite importantly the proposed reagent restored the original stamped numbers of both Proton and Toyota cars and also a Mitsubishi car that had been obliterated. The most widely used Fry's composition (90 g CuCl(2), 120 mL HCl and 100 mL H(2)O), although recovered the obliterated number, did not cause the desired contrast.
Chemical etching, which is the most sensitive method to recover obliterated serial numbers on metal surfaces, has been practised quite successfully in forensic science laboratories all over the world. A large number of etchants suitable for particular metal surfaces based on empirical studies is available in the literature. This article reviews the sensitivity and efficacy of some popular etchants for recovering obliterated marks on medium carbon steel (0.31% C with ferrite-pearlite microstructure) used in automobile parts. The experiments involved engraving these carbon steel plates with some alphanumeric characters using a computer controlled machine "Gravograph" and erasing them to several depths below the bottom of their engraving depth. Seven metallographic reagents of which most of them were copper containing compounds were chosen for etching. The erased plates were etched with every one of these etchants using swabbing method. The results have revealed that Fry's reagent comprising cupric chloride 90 g, hydrochloric acid 120 mL and water 100mL provided the necessary contrast and was concluded to be the most sensitive. The same reagent was recommended by earlier workers for revealing strain lines in steel surfaces. Earlier, another reagent containing 5 g copper sulphate, 60 mL water, 30 mL (conc.) ammonium hydroxide, and 60 mL (conc.) hydrochloric acid was proved to be more sensitive to restore erased marks on low carbon steel (0.1% C with ferrite-pearlite structure) [M.A.M. Zaili, R. Kuppuswamy, H. Harun, Restoration of engraved marks on steel surfaces by etching technique, Forensic Sci. Int. 171 (2007) 27-32]. Thus the sensitivity of the etching reagent on steel surfaces appeared to be dependent on the content of carbon in the steel.
Over the last decade, the progressive application of natural fibres in polymer composites has had a major effect in alleviating environmental impacts. Recently, there is a growing interest in the development of green materials in a woven form by utilising natural fibres from lignocellulosic materials for many applications such as structural, non-structural composites, household utilities, automobile parts, aerospace components, flooring, and ballistic materials. Woven materials are one of the most promising materials for substituting or hybridising with synthetic polymeric materials in the production of natural fibre polymer composites (NFPCs). These woven materials are flexible, able to be tailored to the specific needs and have better mechanical properties due to their weaving structures. Seeing that the potential advantages of woven materials in the fabrication of NFPC, this paper presents a detailed review of studies related to woven materials. A variety of factors that influence the properties of the resultant woven NFRC such as yarn characteristics, fabric properties as well as manufacturing parameters were discussed. Past and current research efforts on the development of woven NFPCs from various polymer matrices including polypropylene, polylactic acid, epoxy and polyester and the properties of the resultant composites were also compiled. Last but not least, the applications, challenges, and prospects in the field also were highlighted.