Design

The future is bright for LEDs Beyond “fueling” auxiliary power systems, solar energy could be harnessed in the future for vehicle lighting. Imagine walking outside with a light strip, slapping it on the side of your vehicle, and that’s it—no holes, no wires, no maintenance—while meeting federal requirements. Rick Bozich of Grote Industries shared that scenario in discussing the possibilities of its new 1-mm (0.04-in) -thick LightForm LED technology. Read full story

CMU makes a sketch to improve design processes A team of Carnegie Mellon University researchers has developed software that will enable engineers to design new 3-D products by simply sketching their ideas on a tablet computer. Read full story

Freight*BUS concept carries passengers and freight A proposal for a new city bus for London, England, is the basis for a new vehicle designed to carry both passengers and freight for urban collection and distribution. The objective is to exploit periods when demand for passenger transportation is reduced, with a vehicle that can be adapted to carry both freight and passengers. Read full story

Nissan reveals multitasking commercial vehicle The company's first commercial vehicle for the U.S. and Canada is months from being produced, but the automaker's recent world debut of the NV2500 Concept hints at what is to come. "The NV2500 Concept is conceived as a fresh approach to a one-box utility van," said Joe Castelli, Vice President of Commercial Vehicles and Fleet for Nissan North America, at the December unveiling. Read full story