Autonomous Vehicles for Public Transportation

This book presents an interdisciplinary approach to autonomous driving technology design and development. It discusses a methodology of simulation that allows specialists to evaluate autonomous vehicle sensors functionality and integration, energy flow, efficiency, range, and service under public transport.

The design, calibration, and physical model behind each autonomous vehicle sensor and component is explained. For each specific vehicle, the powertrain is analyzed, and output results are presented through the use of specific automotive industrial software (IPG CarMaker).

The book gives the reader a clear perspective of the key factors influencing the global functionality of autonomous shuttle buses with respect to both their inner components the variable exterior factors and an exhaustive legal perspective in relation of their presence on public roads.

Călin ICLODEAN is currently an associate professor at Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Department of Automotive Engineering and Transports. He has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, since 2013, after studying for doctoral studies in Graz, - Austria, at AVL List GmbH. He graduated from the Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications, Department of Applied Electronics of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca in 1994, and has more than 25 years of working and business experience in IT&C. The principal areas of research of Călin ICLODEAN are covering the following fields: electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, powertrain concept, electronic control unit, in-vehicle communication network, energy efficiency, computer modeling, and simulation in the automotive field. His research received financing from European Investment Bank, national and regional authorities, and economical private entities. He is also active in the field of peer-reviewed publications where he is a member of a reviewer board for several journals indexed in the Web of Science. At the same time, he is a member of the topic editorial board for several journals indexed in the Web of Science and an academic editor for several special issues published in journals indexed in the Web of Science.
Bogdan Ovidiu Varga is currently a professor at the Automotive Engineering and Transport Department, at Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and is the coordinator of the Electric and Hybrid Vehicles course and the director of the Automotive Master Program Advance Techniques in Automotive Engineering. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Technical University of Cluj-Napoca after studying in Germany (University of Hohenheim), Italy (Università di Bologna), and Greece (National Technical University of Athens). Since 2011, he has been the technical juridica expert for the Romanian Ministry of Justice in the field of automotive, road, traffic, and equipment for vehicles control, and from 2013, he activates as an associate member of Federation International des Experts in Automobile. The main research activity covers the area of smart and green mobility: electric and hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, energy efficiency of the vehicles, autonomous vehicles, vehicle evaluation, and vehicle diagnosis. He has published several papers in the peer-review journals including Energy Journal from Elsevier and several patterns in the field of electric mobility.
Nicolae Cordoș is currently an associate professor at the Automotive and Transport Department, Faculty of Automotive, Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. In 2010, he received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Technical University of Cluj-Napoca after studying in Germany (University of Hohenheim) and Portugal (University of Minho). The relevant activities and the researches interest are in the following fields: vehicle dynamics, intelligent transport systems, autonomous vehicle, and the dynamics of traffic accidents. He has also published scientific papers in the fields of interest mentioned above in the peer-review journals.