Alan L. Browne

TL;DR: In this paper, an active material, such as shape memory material, is operative to change at least one attribute in response to an activation signal, which can reduce vehicle damage due to inadequate ground clearance, while increasing vehicle stability and fuel economy.

TL;DR: In this article, a method for identifying available parking spaces is proposed, which includes receiving data about a parking space from a vehicle, the data including a geographic indicator associated with the parking space.

TL;DR: In this article, a reversibly deployable energy absorbing assembly includes a rigid support structure having at least one inlet and one outlet, a flexible covering sealingly engaged with the rigid support to define an inflatable interior region, a gas source in fluid communication with the at least 1 inlet, an inlet control valve positioned intermediate between the gas source and the inlet; and an actively controlled pressure relief valve, which is adapted to provide a response suitable for use in vehicle impact management.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a process for disengaging a releasable fastener from a loop-and-hook configuration, which can be achieved by introducing a thermal activation signal to the plurality of hook elements, which causes a change in shape orientation and/or flexural modulus that effectively reduces the shear and/ or pull off forces in the releasability engagement.

TL;DR: In this article, an active grille comprises a plurality of blades and an active material in operative communication with the blades, which can be configured to improve vehicle fuel economy while maintaining proper engine cooling.