Automotive Blog | WAVES Online

Today's proving ground for vehicles of the future

Mercedes-Benz’ decision to build a new proving ground was spurred by its global target of achieving homologation of all vehicles so that any vehicle will meet or exceed projected global standards regardless of country or region of origin, combined with the need for durability testing.

End-of-line testing – All geared up and ready to go

Customer expectations for the durability and comfort of cars, vans and trucks are ever increasing. Combine this with the highly competitive nature of the auto market, and manufacturers must find a balance point for producing quality products that are cost-effective, not only for themselves, but also to ensure that any added cost remains lower than the increased quality passed on to the customer. Customers want vehicles that work and are nice to be in, but they will compare prices versus features until...

Sounds Like a Ferrari

Ferraris are distinguished by an unmatched combination of beauty, power and responsiveness – and a unique sound that is as carefully tuned as a piece of music.

Optimizing the future driving experience

From sustainability to safety, electric vehicles to autonomous cars, the automotive industry is transforming rapidly. With the market narrowing, the user experience will be the differentiating factor, and one future trend – simulation – will be invaluable.

In search of the worlds quietest car hero

Searching for The World's Quietest Car

Engine, car body, tyres, chassis – every part of a car produces noise of some sort. German magazine AUTO BILD decided to thoroughly test and evaluate the resulting impact of the total noise of 14 different cars

Something quiet this way comes

Traditionally pass-by noise measurement is a requirement for all automotive manufacturers as part of product certification, with measurement procedures defined in local and regional standards to ensure that noise levels are not exceeded, but times change. The introduction of extremely quiet electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid vehicles (HVs) introduces more changes and challenges than just a different propulsion method; ‘too loud’ now only covers half of the problem.

The Next Generation of Sound

Future challenges of electric vehicle noise control.

Driving Simulation In Top Gear

Today’s automotive engineers want the most realistic simulated driving scenarios, capturing essential vehicle characteristics, including sound. A driving simulator facilitates active safety tests and lets drivers evaluate different set-ups and feel the dynamics of a virtual car.

Analysis of vehicle voice recognition performance in response to background noise and gender

Performance of Vehicle Voice Recognition

This article deals with the analysis of vehicle voice recognition and how to optimize performance in response to background noise and gender-based frequency to increase customer satisfaction.

Easy Rider? Measuring Motorbike Vibrations

If you ride a motorbike for any length of time, you might notice that vibration from the engine causes hand numbness – or white-finger syndrome – and other unpleasant physical sensations. Vibration levels can have a negative impact on health and on a rider’s reactions, contributing to accidents.

Golf cart noise and vibration troubleshooting

Expectations for noise and vibration performance of personal vehicles such as golf carts, ATVs, and side-by-side vehicles continue to evolve, requiring additional efforts from manufacturers to meet customer expectations in comfort and the ability to converse with passengers.

Nothing runs like a Deere

Whether harvesting forests, digging foundations, or propelling ships, people depend on John Deere’s engines to get things done.

Desktop CAE Sound Auditions

CAE analysts can hear the consequences of their latest design changes, by efficiently combining CAE and test data on their own computer.

Sounds great

Customers care about the audio quality of the loudspeaker systems in their cars; it’s one of the key factors affecting a car purchasing decision. For most car drivers and passengers, listening to music is an integral part of the driving experience.

From Diagnosis to Solution – Fast

What can be done with an interior noise problem? By applying advanced tools and methodologies, the cause of interior vehicle noise can be quickly developed and validated to derive a solution.

Multiple Vehicle Pass-by Tests

Engineers can assess noise from many vehicles at the same time with data acquisition synchronized by GPS.

Sorting out the sources of sound

The latest research into Blind Source Separation (BSS) – a technique that involves separating a mixture of sounds – indicates that it is a good method for assisting the automotive industry in evaluating noise from different sources. Despite the complex algorithms involved, results suggest BSS may be a superior and more intuitive technique compared to the widely used Source Path Contribution (SPC) analysis.

Developing a Smoother Ride With Anti-vibration Rubber

Supporting safer and more comfortable vehicles, Sumitomo Riko uses advanced polymer materials and comprehensive evaluation technology to manufacture anti-vibration rubber for the automotive industry.

Measuring Vibration Characteristics in Seating

A long commute is often stressful and tiring, so comfortable seating becomes increasingly important for drivers as well as passengers. But how do we test the overall comfort quality of seats?

Predicting detectability and annoyance of EV warning sounds using partial loudness

Predicting EV Warning Sounds

Electric vehicles (EVs) are so quiet at low speeds that they can be a danger to pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users. So the challenge for car manufacturers is to create sounds that are detectable but not annoying.

Cutting the commute

Only in the final hot weeks of late summer do combine harvesters appear, carving their dusty trails through dry cornfields. To exploit every last minute while conditions are optimal, New Holland’s developers work hard to reduce the time driving between fields.

Driving brand awareness

At Borla, we develop and build the world’s finest aftermarket exhaust systems for high-performance vehicles. In fact, we are the originators of this market, which has given us a unique understanding of what it takes to create the right product for a highly discerning customer.

Uplifting Sound Quality

Today, sound is being recognized more and more as an important parameter when defining product quality.

Vehicle noise tests are getting tighter

The new pass-by tests coming in 2016 will help prevent ‘noisy’ vehicles from being able to satisfy legal sound limits in very specific test conditions – by broadening the scope of the tests.

PULSE makes explosive readings

Building warships from composite materials and designing and building stealth submarines are specialities of Swedish defence shipbuilder Kockums AB. When designing these types of crafts, crucial demands are placed on their noise, vibration, and shock response properties. To ensure that these stringent requirements are fulfilled, a thorough knowledge of structures and material properties is a prerequisite, backed up by extensive testing to validate the theoretical designs.

Listening to customers

Subaru has always had a people-first approach to car making. As one of the hottest car brands – 2016 was its ninth consecutive year of sales increases in the US – it plans to continue its success by listening to customers’ needs and preferences, and it has gained valuable results from sound simulation tests.

All quiet on board

Noise is a significant issue for anyone working on ships. Even moderate noise and vibration can affect comfort and lead to a drop in performance. Professor Hideyuki Shuri, an authority on ship noise, has been working for many years to overcome the challenges.

CAF - On The Right Track

High-speed train manufacturer, CAF, rely on world-class beamforming technology to reduce the noise generated by their trains – helping to make high-speed trains a more viable option for travellers and operators alike.

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