Solution to Road Kill Problem How can car manufacturers redesign the car for less road kill?

Solution to Road Kill Problem

How can car manufacturers redesign the car for less road kill?

I assume here that costs are not important but reaching the goal is all-important ("What would Croesus Do?")

Creativity Tool:Use Google Image Search to view various images to generate ideas and associations in a Brain Storming fashion

Creativity Tool:General idea: If we need to make x equal to y, we can bring x closer to y, y closer to x, or both.

If x < y and we need to make x even smaller than y, we can make x smaller, y bigger or both.

This Creativity Tool invites us to turn our problem upside down: Where we earlier looked at it from the perspective of x it allows us to look at it from the perspective of y.

Creativity Tool:If normally A is inside B, can we put B inside A?

If normally A is on top of B, can we put B on top of A?

§1 The Department of Transportation has required a reduction by 50% of road kill of mammals larger than three inches long.

Too small to be concerned about

In the target group of mammals

Skunk

Opossum

Deer

§2 In any potential car/mammal road kill we can keep the car away from the mammal, the mammal away from the car, or make an accident less severe so that there is no damage or death.

§3 Solutions where we keep to mammal away from the car: scare mammal by adding sound or smell to the car design.

§4 Keeping mammal away from car by sound

http://www.deerwhistle.com/

http://www.ibmwr.org/prodreview/deerwsle.html

Clash of Deer and Man Tests Public Ingenuity

• "Based on the knowledge of ultrasonic frequency coupled with observed field testing of various animal species, it is highly unlikely that an ultrasonic signal produced by the whistle devices would reach a deer at a decibel level such that it would be detected even at ten meters, much less than the 300 to 400 meters claimed." http://www.ibmwr.org/prodreview/deerwsle.html

• ”[A] supervisor for an Arkansas utility came up with his own plan to scare deer off dark country roads. He taped the barking of his neighbors' dogs, rigged an amplified speaker to the front of his truck and then broadcast the tape as he cruised down highways.” Clash of Deer and Man Tests Public Ingenuity

• “In northern states, the salt-drive phenomenon also causes deer to frequent roadsides as they search for residue from winter road-salting operations.” ==> Car design cannot carry the whole load.

•The asphalt surface of paved roads retains heat and can act as an ecological trap for reptiles that seek warm conditions to raise their body temperature. Road-kill of reptiles warming up on roads has long been recognized as a significant source of mortality for some populations (Barbour 1944 cited in Harris and Scheck 1991).

Harris, L.D. and J. Scheck. 1991. From implications to applications: the dispersal corridor principle applied to the conservation of biological diversity, pp. 189-208, in D.A. Saunders and R. Hobbs, eds. Natural Conservation 2: The Role of

Corridors. Surrey Beatty & Sons.

§5 Keeping mammal away from car • On roof, detection camera with intelligent image recognition software and high powered smell spray with mountain lion urine or other deterrent smell from a predator.

• Volume 34(1), Wildlife Society Bulletin, Role of Predator Odor in Roost Site Selection of Southern Flying Squirrels.

"Squirrels spent significantly less time overnight in nest boxes scented with fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) fur, bobcat (Lynx rufus) fur, red fox (Vulpes vulpes) urine, raccoon (Procyon lotor) fur, king snake (Lampropeltis getula), and corn snake (Elaphe guttata) than unscented (control) boxes."

"Shake-Away Fox Urine Powder blends the effectiveness of fox urine with our patent-pending powder formula, to create the safest, simplest, most effective, 100% organic method to keep pesky animals away. Fox urine powder works longer, smells stronger, and won't soak into the ground, evaporate or freeze like liquid fox urine.

The following images suggest to me that we need to radically rethink the “car,” move the bulky part of it away from the animal so that the animal can less easily hit the “car.”

Result of a deer/car meeting of ways

Another deer/car meeting of ways

§6 Solutions where we keep to car away from the mammal: put car on stilts so “car” can “step” over animals

In the next series of images I get better acquainted with the world of stilts.

These two images reminded me of the concept of Biomimicry, a new discipline that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems.

These images told me that stilts have been used by humans for various

purposes and gave me added confidence that I may be onto

something

Then I started to view some videos with stilts in robotics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dut6jxCiakg

http://www.engin.umich.edu/alumni/engineer/05S/research/robot/index.html

Segway

Carbon Fiber Lightweight Body

§7 Or solutions where we … have car hover on a cushion of air, or using new, unproven, anti-gravity technology and move around propelled by heli-blades.

http://www.maniacworld.com/Fire-Fighters-lift-car-with-water.html

Human Powered

Pedal powered hovercraft make great science fair projects for students and scouts as well as competition between schools and other groups. Construction is from bike parts, wood & tarp material. Both models can be broken down for easy transportation. Empty weight: 75 Lbs. Payload: up to 300 lbs.

§8 Or solutions where we … make the incident less severe so that there is no damage or death.

This is how a car may look with external air bags

§9 Or solutions where we … detect wildlife early to provide time to slow down.

In-Vehicle Wildlife Detection Devices. The Cadillac DeVille has an infrared detector called "Night Vision" that the manufacturer says can detect wildlife on the roadway ahead of the vehicle. The driver's "range of sight” increases from 200 yards to 500 yards. The driver is alerted to the presence of wildlife ahead by means of a virtual image in the driver's peripheral vision near the front edge of the hood.

Image of a small dog taken in mid-infrared ("thermal") light (false color)

§ 10 Wildlife Friendly Car

• Seating Cabin on two stilts with knees• Segway Inspired Balance with Flywheel• Wildlife Infrared Detectors build in Lower Legs• Night Vision Equipped• Made of Carbon Fiber, an ultra-light material• Transformable from walk to ride mode• Solar electric system

§ 11 Advantages

• Design allows to get in/out easily• Walk mode only in animal rich areas• Steady moving while legs avoid wildlife• Solar panels makes for no need for refueling