Alternative fuels appeared soon after the first internal combustion engines were designed. The history of alternative fuels is basically as long as the history of the automotive industry. Initially, fuels whose physicochemical properties allowed for a change in parameters of the combustion process in order to achieve greater efficiency and reliability were searched for. Nowadays, there are significantly more variables; in addition to the above mentioned parameters, alternative fuels are being sought that will ensure environmental protection during vehicle operation and improve the ergonomics of use. This article outlines the results of the authors’ own comparative tests of vibrations of a vibroacoustic character. Based on a popular engine model, the vibration–acoustic responses of a system powered by two types of fuel, namely, diesel and biodiesel (B10), are compared. The research consists of comparing vibrations in both time and frequency domains. In the case of the time domain, the evaluation was performed with vibrations as a function of engine torque and speed. In the case of frequency analysis, the focus was on changes in the frequency response for the tested fuels. The research shows that the profile of vibroacoustic vibrations changes in the case of biodiesel power supply in relation to standard fuel. The vibration profile changes significantly as a function of speed and only slightly in relation to the engine load. The results presented in this article show different vibroacoustic responses of an engine powered by diesel and biodiesel; the change is minor for lower speeds but significant (other harmonics are dominant) for higher speeds (changes in the dominant harmonic magnitude of up to 10% at a crankshaft speed of 3000 rpm).

Earthmoving vehicles, especially ones with articulated frame steering, are very vulnerable to rollover. Consequently many dangerous rollover accidents occur all around the world. This problem is not only caused by difficult operating conditions and high productivity requirements. The current standards in this area do not offer an acceptable method of assessing vehicle rollover stability. Furthermore, in the previous literature there have been no research on rollover stability of increasingly common unconventional undercarriage systems, equipped with inclined/virtual oscillation and steering axes. In response to the above-mentioned situation, an innovative test vehicle, whose undercarriage system can be optionally selected (including unconventional solutions), was designed and built. The experimental stand consisted of a rotary-tilting platform equipped in wheel weighting pads and a two-axis inclinometer. Completely new experimental results were presented, proving a strong influence of unconventional undercarriage system on vehicle rollover stability. Moreover, the extensive experimental investigation was used to derive and validate an accurate and universal mathematical model, enabling to calculate and improve the rollover stability of any four-wheeled vehicle. It was also shown that a geometrical optimisation of an unconventional undercarriage system permits an increase in rollover stability—even up to several dozen percentage relative to the conventional solutions.

The ergonomics of transport is a topic widely described in the literature. One of the fields of ergonomics that researchers are engaged in is vibrometry (both laser and accelerometry) of travel and its translation into NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness). However, so far, the influence of baby carriage movement on the generated vibrations has not been described in more detail. The topic seems to be particularly important considering occurrence of vibrations with significant amplitudes, whose frequency range can have a direct bearing on the resonance frequencies of the child’s internal organs. The article presents the results of research consisting in the measurement of vibrations to which an infant, lying in two different types of prams, may be exposed when being transported on different surfaces. The author’s measurement system, based on accelerometry, was used for the research. The obtained weighted RMS acceleration values not only exceeded human comfort level in all cases (according to ISO standard) but several times were in the range of the highest discomfort (>2 m/s²). Furthermore, the observed vibration frequency range (≈0 ÷ 32 Hz) coincided with the frequencies of free vibration of organs and parts of the child’s body.

Removing the human factor from transport (in the direct sense) is still a plan, reaching into the future. However, this plan does not require so much imagination - autonomous vehicles can already be found on the roads. Currently, they are not only autonomous, but also independent, i.e. decisions about traffic parameters are made in the vehicle. In the future, with more autonomous vehicles, there will be a need to connect them with a communication network, which will eliminate a number of telematic problems. It remains an open question how to make this network? Is it based on the modern Internet network? What and which data will be necessary to achieve the “right relations” between autonomous vehicles (hosts of network)? The article presents one aspect of the mentioned problem; the amount of data generated by an autonomous vehicle is presented in the light of the processing capabilities of modern ICT systems.

The article presents analysis of road crash accidents. It presents the evolution of safety systems, starting from a description of the curently used vehicle-based systems, with particular emphasis on the prediction of the driver falling asleep. The article also proposes a proprietary system of sleep prediction based on the face detection of drivers. The detection of facial landmarks is presented as a two-step process: an algorithm finds faces in general, and then needs to localize key facial structures within the face region of interest. The article presents the operation of the algorithm to detect driver falling asleep; method of detection and analysis.