What is needed to design a safe vehicle?


Targets
At the end of this unit, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. What are simple machines, and how do they make work easier?

1.1 What advantage do I get from using a lever?

1.2 How do wheels and rollers help move things from place to place?

1.3 What role do wheel and axle systems have in moving vehicles and devices?
2. How can I build machines so they move the way I want?

2.1 How force be used to move a vehicle?

2.2 How can you build a machine or device that moves on its own?

2.3 What is needed to design a safe vehicle?

2.4 How can ideas be shared and designs be compared to build the best moving device possible?
Targets


Car crashes are terrible. We wish all travel with vehicles could be safe all of the time. Sadly, all crashes cannot be prevented, but we can be sure vehicles have lots of well-designed control systems that help keep people safe.

A control system is a device that controls how other systems work. Vehicles are made to travel fast, and control systems are needed to keep that travel safe. The most important control systems in vehicles are braking systems and steering systems.
A steering system allows the driver to control the direction of a vehicle. The braking system allows him or her to control the speed of a vehicle.

Some vehicles are very complicated and have control systems in addition to brakes and steering.  For example, most cars have systems that reduce slipping of the wheels on the road (ABS brakes).  Some cars can even drive and park themselves!

  Video

Watch this video: Test Driving the Google Car

The Google car uses lasers, satellites, and computers to travel safely from one place to another – without anyone driving!