RESEARCH

researchUNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO the full spectrum of research

AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH

Learn more about automotive research at Waterloo: watcar.uwaterloo.ca

Waterloo is changing the way the world drives.

Research investigations at the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research(WatCAR) represent the largest university-based automotive activity in Canada and focus on enhancing automotive innovation and competitiveness.

Based in the Faculty of Engineering, we conduct leading-edge research across all six faculties at the University of Waterloo using complementary expertise in each area to create a diverse and valuable research impact. For example, automotive research includes the Faculty of Mathematics (computer software), Faculty of Science (electrochemistry and nano-materials), Faculty of Environment (knowledge integration), Faculty of Applied Health Sciences (kinesiology), and Faculty of Arts (voice recognition).

WatCAR’s vision of future transportation is lightweight, safe, and intelligent vehicles that are powered by clean energy and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Automotive innovations being developed at Waterloo include:

» Vehicles wirelessly connected to each other and infrastructure to share information about traffic congestion, accidents, construction, and road conditions,

» Technologies to improve energy storage systems, enabling longer range and broaderuse of hybrid and pure electric vehicles,

» Lightweight, crashworthy, and durable vehicle structures and components madefrom ultra-high strength steel, aluminum, and magnesium,

» Advanced virtual crash test simulations that provide the world’s most detailedmodels of the human body to understand injury and improve safety,

» Leading-edge combustion diagnostics and emissions reduction devices including inexpensive catalytic converter materials and technologies,

» Computer-generated models that simulate vehicle behaviourin dangerous driving scenarios and advanced stability systems to help drivers maintain traction and control,

» Smart chargers that allow plug-in electric vehicles toform a mobile distributed energy storage network.

SO WHAT IS WatCAR?

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» WatCAR includes over 115 automotive researchers from the faculties of engineering,science, mathematics/computing, applied health sciences, environment, and arts, representing the largest university-based automotive activity in Canada.

» Waterloo is home to: • Canada’s largest Faculty of Engineering, as well as Canada’s first undergraduate and only

graduate mechatronics programs, • North America’s second largest electrical and computer engineering department, • the world’s largest post-secondary co-operative education program.

» Strength in mathematics-based modelling and design of vehicle components and software through the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, part of the world’s first and largest faculty of mathematics.

» WatCAR partners include assemblers, parts manufacturers, and materials suppliers across North America, Europe, and Asia.

» Automotive-based student teams offer unique product evaluation and partnership opportunities.

» Automotive research at Waterloo is supported by several multidisciplinarycentres and laboratories with relevant automotive expertise including:

• Centre for Advanced Materials Joining (CAMJ) which excels at wirebonding and laser welding,

• Centre for Intelligent Antenna and Radio Systems (CIARS), home toan electronically shielded R/F anechoic vehicle test chamber that is large enough for a full-size 2½ ton pickup truck,

• Giga-to-Nano Electronics Laboratory (G2N), a part of the Waterloo Institutefor Nanotechnology (WIN) that is developing thin-film solar panels,

• Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) which fosters thedevelopment of innovative technologies, choices, and alternatives to existing energy production and delivery systems.

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Cutting-edge innovations – the key to a competitive advantage in an industry of continuous change.

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watcar.uwaterloo.ca

Student Design Centre

At Waterloo, a 20,000-square-foot student design centre provides space for 16 student teams to design and showcase award-winning projects such as solar and alternative fuel vehicles built for international competition. Vehicles are judged on design excellence, problem solving, performance, crashworthiness, and environmental friendliness. Students work with industrial partners who support and sponsor the teams.

» Waterloo attracts over $169 million in research funding annually.

» Waterloo’s unique intellectual property rights policy promotes the university’s attributes and reputation as innovative, unconventional, and creative by:

• assuring researchers and industry across Canada that the generation of ideas is supported and protected,

• piquing the interests of future researchers, including students, who aspire to contribute to research themselves,

• encouraging researchers and partners to collaborate while taking risks in their thinking and inventions.

» 1,000+ faculty

» 4,420 graduate students;28,370 undergraduate students

» 60 Canada Research Chairs

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Office of Research

University of Waterloo

200 University Avenue West

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1

research.uwaterloo.ca

AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH

Putting safety first What do next generation safety features mean for the average driver? Features like innovative sensors, wireless vehicle communication, driver assist, and active safety control systems mean that when you’re driving on a snow-covered road, your vehicle is anticipating what’s ahead and taking steps to avoid an accident before you can spot the upcoming danger. These features will result in reduced collisions, lower repair costs, and lives saved.

Waterloo researchers are helping manufacturers stay at the forefront of technologies that share information between vehicles, roadside infrastructure, and smart phones. Advances in connectivity between vehicles will allow intelligent vehicles equipped with specialized sensors to share safety-critical information such as slippery roads, as well as alerting emergency service providers and road authorities.

“These innovations in intelligent transportation help keep drivers safe and traffic flowing smoothly,” says Bruce Hellinga, professor of civil and environmental engineering.

Associate professor Duane Cronin is working on a different automotive safety challenge: preventing injury. He’s developed computer-generated human body models including the world’s most detailed model of the human neck and spine. Using this model, researchers can predict where an injury, such as whiplash, occurs and modify the design of headrests, seats, airbags, and vehicle structure to prevent it.

WatCAR researchers are considering auto worker safety as well. Professor Jack Callaghan, Canada Research Chair in Spine Biomechanics and Injury Prevention, and his team conduct ergonomic research on automotive assembly line processes. The expected outcome is improved assembly line designs, leading to reduced repetitive strain injuries of the lower back, shoulders, and wrists.

Clearly, Waterloo is making the world a safer place to live, work, and drive.

Computer modelling methods improve vehicle performance, safety, and sustainability From fast software generation and debugging strategies

to powerful modelling and simulation tools, WatCAR is

helping to streamline the development-to-production

process for the vehicles of tomorrow.

WatCAR researchers have created computer modelling

methods that enable fast, real-time automotive simulation.

Using model-based methods for product development,

modification, and testing reduces the number of prototype

iterations required, dramatically lowering the cost of

vehicle production. “The future of automotive design is

model-based development, in which mathematical models

are used to design, control, and test the next generation

of electric and hybrid electric vehicles,” says Professor

John McPhee, who holds the NSERC/Toyota/Maplesoft

Industrial Research Chair in Mathematics-Based Modelling

and Design at Waterloo.

The WatCAR team also uses modelling to create active

safety systems to improve vehicle control, such as

computer-generated models that simulate vehicle behaviour

in dangerous driving scenarios. The simulation results are

used to create electronic stability controllers, which can

correct dangerous scenarios by actuating the steering,

brakes, and traction motors. For example, if a car is not

facing the direction in which it is moving, sensors will detect

this and signal the control system to brake or drive certain

wheels, counteract the manoeuvre with active steering, cut

power to the engine, and return safe control to the driver.

What’s more, modelling is used to help reduce emissions,

optimize fuel economy, and improve comfort. Researchers

like assistant professor Nasser Azad are creating

computer-generated models of internal combustion engine

drivetrains and hybrid electric powertrains. These models

are used to develop control strategies that manipulate

engine and transmission inputs such as spark timing,

air-fuel ratio, and gear shifting to achieve fuel efficiency

and lower emissions.

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO the full spectrum of research

“The changes made to seating in

commercial and fleet vehicles are critical

given that lower back pain is one of

the top three worldwide occupational

health problems and directly linked

to prolonged vehicle use.”

Jack P. Callaghan Kinesiology at

Waterloo

Driven by green power The global movement to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels has triggered robust

research in viable green propulsion systems, such as electric and plug-in hybrid

vehicles that are powered by clean, renewable energy sources.

Professor Mehrdad Kazerani is on the cutting edge of green propulsion systems research

at Waterloo. Developing a high performance hybrid energy storage system and a smart

charger for electric vehicles has been a focus of his research. A smart charger charges

the battery from the central power grid when electricity is most abundant and least

expensive, and transfers power back to the grid, according to the car owner’s specified

preferences, when the grid needs power.

Along with electric vehicle related research, Kazerani’s team is working on the hydrogen

fuel cell battery, which uses hydrogen generated from clean energy sources such as wind

and solar. Since electricity provided by both the battery and hydrogen fuel cell must run

through a DC to DC converter before it can power a vehicle, Kazerani has been improving

the efficiency of these converters to provide better fuel economy.

Research and innovation like this are establishing Waterloo as a leader in the transition

from fossil fuel dependence to renewable sources of energy.

Creating lightweight, sustainable vehicle technologies Producing vehicles made from lightweight yet durable

materials is a primary goal for auto manufacturers, and

determining which materials to use is a primary goal for

WatCAR researchers. Lighter vehicles mean greater fuel

efficiency, enhanced safety, and reduced tailpipe emissions.

WatCAR researchers are working with ultra-high strength

steel, aluminum, and magnesium alloys to develop vehicle

components that are lightweight, formable, durable, and

crashworthy. They collaborate with industry on research

programs such as the Magnesium Network (MagNet) and the

Initiative for Automotive Manufacturing Innovation (IAMI).

Both are supported by Waterloo’s Centre for Advanced

Materials Joining (CAMJ). Directed by Professor Norman

Zhou, Canada Research Chair in Microjoining, CAMJ

conducts research and development in micro- and

nano-joining, brazing, as well as laser, arc, and resistance

welding to develop lightweight automotive components.

“Our materials joining facility is one of the best in the

world,” says Zhou. “The research we’re conducting in

welding and joining will lead to the manufacturing of

lighter, more durable vehicles in the future.”

Making lighter vehicles is only part of the sustainability

story. WatCAR research is also helping reduce the harmful

tailpipe emissions generated by diesel-powered vehicles.

While diesel vehicles are more fuel efficient than gasoline

vehicles, their emissions are more difficult to filter.

As well, catalytic converters for diesel are coated with

platinum, making them expensive. Associate professor

Bill Epling is addressing both of these challenges: using

a novel technique to measure gas concentrations in the

converter, he has discovered that only a portion of it

needs the coating, making it less expensive. He’s also

developing a catalytic converter for diesel-powered

vehicles that more efficiently filters out harmful

tailpipe emissions.

“Vehicles contribute considerably

to CO2 emissions, with less

from diesel than gasoline,”

says Epling. “A better

and cheaper catalytic

converter for diesel

will mean reduced

emissions and greater

fuel efficiency.”

This is a challenging and exciting time for the global automotive industry. Assemblers, parts manufacturers, and materials suppliers are striving to maintain a competitive advantage by improving or reinventing vehicle concepts and production methods.

A commitment and reputation for collaboration makes it easy for industry to conduct business with us. Groundbreaking research is the focus of automotive research at the University of Waterloo, but blending innovation with safety, sustainability, and intelligence is at the core of its mission. With more than 115 academics connected to the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR), we’re providing research expertise and developing specialized innovations in five core areas:

» Connected Car and Telematics, » Green Propulsion and Powertrain, » Lightweighting and Sustainability, » Software and Systems, » Structural Performance.

As Canada’s largest group of academic automotive researchers, WatCAR is leading the way in these times of change by providing the most up-to-date findings on established and emerging technologies.

Amir KhajepourExecutive Director, WatCAR

Canada Research Chair in Mechatronic Vehicle Systems

Postdoctoral fellows and graduate students create and collaborate on new innova

tions

in a

utom

otiv

e re

sear

ch a

t W

ater

loo.

AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH

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Amir Khajepour, Automotive Research at Waterloo

RESEARCH

researchUNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO the full spectrum of research

AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH

Learn more about automotive research at Waterloo: watcar.uwaterloo.ca

Waterloo is changing the way the world drives.

Research investigations at the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR) represent the largest university-based automotive activity in Canada and focus on enhancing automotive innovation and competitiveness.

Based in the Faculty of Engineering, we conduct leading-edge research across all six faculties at the University of Waterloo using complementary expertise in each area to create a diverse and valuable research impact. For example, automotive research includes the Faculty of Mathematics (computer software), Faculty of Science (electrochemistry and nano-materials), Faculty of Environment (knowledge integration), Faculty of Applied Health Sciences (kinesiology), and Faculty of Arts (voice recognition).

WatCAR’s vision of future transportation is lightweight, safe, and intelligent vehicles that are powered by clean energy and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Automotive innovations being developed at Waterloo include:

» Vehicles wirelessly connected to each other and infrastructure to share information about traffic congestion, accidents, construction, and road conditions,

» Technologies to improve energy storage systems, enabling longer range and broaderuse of hybrid and pure electric vehicles,

» Lightweight, crashworthy, and durable vehicle structures and components madefrom ultra-high strength steel, aluminum, and magnesium,

» Advanced virtual crash test simulations that provide the world’s most detailedmodels of the human body to understand injury and improve safety,

» Leading-edge combustion diagnostics and emissions reduction devices including inexpensive catalytic converter materials and technologies,

» Computer-generated models that simulate vehicle behaviourin dangerous driving scenarios and advanced stability systems to help drivers maintain traction and control,

» Smart chargers that allow plug-in electric vehicles toform a mobile distributed energy storage network.

SO WHAT IS WatCAR?

AU

TOM

OTIV

E FA

ST FAC

TS

» WatCAR includes over 115 automotive researchers from the faculties of engineering,science, mathematics/computing, applied health sciences, environment, and arts, representing the largest university-based automotive activity in Canada.

» Waterloo is home to: • Canada’s largest Faculty of Engineering, as well as Canada’s first undergraduate and only

graduate mechatronics programs, • North America’s second largest electrical and computer engineering department, • the world’s largest post-secondary co-operative education program.

» Strength in mathematics-based modelling and design of vehicle components and software through the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, part of the world’s first and largest faculty of mathematics.

» WatCAR partners include assemblers, parts manufacturers, and materials suppliers across North America, Europe, and Asia.

» Automotive-based student teams offer unique product evaluation and partnership opportunities.

» Automotive research at Waterloo is supported by several multidisciplinarycentres and laboratories with relevant automotive expertise including:

• Centre for Advanced Materials Joining (CAMJ) which excels at wirebonding and laser welding,

• Centre for Intelligent Antenna and Radio Systems (CIARS), home toan electronically shielded R/F anechoic vehicle test chamber that is large enough for a full-size 2½ ton pickup truck,

• Giga-to-Nano Electronics Laboratory (G2N), a part of the Waterloo Institutefor Nanotechnology (WIN) that is developing thin-film solar panels,

• Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) which fosters thedevelopment of innovative technologies, choices, and alternatives to existing energy production and delivery systems.

98

238

Cutting-edge innovations – the key to a competitive advantage in an industry of continuous change.

RE

SEA

RC

H A

T WA

TER

LOO

watcar.uwaterloo.ca

Student Design Centre

At Waterloo, a 20,000-square-foot student design centre provides space for 16 student teams to design and showcase award-winning projects such as solar and alternative fuel vehicles built for international competition. Vehicles are judged on design excellence, problem solving, performance, crashworthiness, and environmental friendliness. Students work with industrial partners who support and sponsor the teams.

» Waterloo attracts over $169 million in research funding annually.

» Waterloo’s unique intellectual property rights policy promotes the university’s attributes and reputation as innovative, unconventional, and creative by:

• assuring researchers and industry across Canada that the generation of ideas is supported and protected,

• piquing the interests of future researchers, including students, who aspire to contribute to research themselves,

• encouraging researchers and partners to collaborate while taking risks in their thinking and inventions.

» 1,000+ faculty

» 4,420 graduate students;28,370 undergraduate students

» 60 Canada Research Chairs

RE

SEA

RC

H A

T WA

TER

LOO

Office of Research

University of Waterloo

200 University Avenue West

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1

research.uwaterloo.ca

AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH

Putting safety first What do next generation safety features mean for the average driver? Features like innovative sensors, wireless vehicle communication, driver assist, and active safety control systems mean that when you’re driving on a snow-covered road, your vehicle is anticipating what’s ahead and taking steps to avoid an accident before you can spot the upcoming danger. These features will result in reduced collisions, lower repair costs, and lives saved.

Waterloo researchers are helping manufacturers stay at the forefront of technologies that share information between vehicles, roadside infrastructure, and smart phones. Advances in connectivity between vehicles will allow intelligent vehicles equipped with specialized sensors to share safety-critical information such as slippery roads, as well as alerting emergency service providers and road authorities.

“These innovations in intelligent transportation help keep drivers safe and traffic flowing smoothly,” says Bruce Hellinga, professor of civil and environmental engineering.

Associate professor Duane Cronin is working on a different automotive safety challenge: preventing injury. He’s developed computer-generated human body models including the world’s most detailed model of the human neck and spine. Using this model, researchers can predict where an injury, such as whiplash, occurs and modify the design of headrests, seats, airbags, and vehicle structure to prevent it.

WatCAR researchers are considering auto worker safety as well. Professor Jack Callaghan, Canada Research Chair in Spine Biomechanics and Injury Prevention, and his team conduct ergonomic research on automotive assembly line processes. The expected outcome is improved assembly line designs, leading to reduced repetitive strain injuries of the lower back, shoulders, and wrists.

Clearly, Waterloo is making the world a safer place to live, work, and drive.

Computer modelling methods improve vehicle performance, safety, and sustainability From fast software generation and debugging strategies

to powerful modelling and simulation tools, WatCAR is

helping to streamline the development-to-production

process for the vehicles of tomorrow.

WatCAR researchers have created computer modelling

methods that enable fast, real-time automotive simulation.

Using model-based methods for product development,

modification, and testing reduces the number of prototype

iterations required, dramatically lowering the cost of

vehicle production. “The future of automotive design is

model-based development, in which mathematical models

are used to design, control, and test the next generation

of electric and hybrid electric vehicles,” says Professor

John McPhee, who holds the NSERC/Toyota/Maplesoft

Industrial Research Chair in Mathematics-Based Modelling

and Design at Waterloo.

The WatCAR team also uses modelling to create active

safety systems to improve vehicle control, such as

computer-generated models that simulate vehicle behaviour

in dangerous driving scenarios. The simulation results are

used to create electronic stability controllers, which can

correct dangerous scenarios by actuating the steering,

brakes, and traction motors. For example, if a car is not

facing the direction in which it is moving, sensors will detect

this and signal the control system to brake or drive certain

wheels, counteract the manoeuvre with active steering, cut

power to the engine, and return safe control to the driver.

What’s more, modelling is used to help reduce emissions,

optimize fuel economy, and improve comfort. Researchers

like assistant professor Nasser Azad are creating

computer-generated models of internal combustion engine

drivetrains and hybrid electric powertrains. These models

are used to develop control strategies that manipulate

engine and transmission inputs such as spark timing,

air-fuel ratio, and gear shifting to achieve fuel efficiency

and lower emissions.

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO the full spectrum of research

“The changes made to seating in

commercial and fleet vehicles are critical

given that lower back pain is one of

the top three worldwide occupational

health problems and directly linked

to prolonged vehicle use.”

Jack P. Callaghan Kinesiology at

Waterloo

Driven by green power The global movement to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels has triggered robust

research in viable green propulsion systems, such as electric and plug-in hybrid

vehicles that are powered by clean, renewable energy sources.

Professor Mehrdad Kazerani is on the cutting edge of green propulsion systems research

at Waterloo. Developing a high performance hybrid energy storage system and a smart

charger for electric vehicles has been a focus of his research. A smart charger charges

the battery from the central power grid when electricity is most abundant and least

expensive, and transfers power back to the grid, according to the car owner’s specified

preferences, when the grid needs power.

Along with electric vehicle related research, Kazerani’s team is working on the hydrogen

fuel cell battery, which uses hydrogen generated from clean energy sources such as wind

and solar. Since electricity provided by both the battery and hydrogen fuel cell must run

through a DC to DC converter before it can power a vehicle, Kazerani has been improving

the efficiency of these converters to provide better fuel economy.

Research and innovation like this are establishing Waterloo as a leader in the transition

from fossil fuel dependence to renewable sources of energy.

Creating lightweight, sustainable vehicle technologies Producing vehicles made from lightweight yet durable

materials is a primary goal for auto manufacturers, and

determining which materials to use is a primary goal for

WatCAR researchers. Lighter vehicles mean greater fuel

efficiency, enhanced safety, and reduced tailpipe emissions.

WatCAR researchers are working with ultra-high strength

steel, aluminum, and magnesium alloys to develop vehicle

components that are lightweight, formable, durable, and

crashworthy. They collaborate with industry on research

programs such as the Magnesium Network (MagNet) and the

Initiative for Automotive Manufacturing Innovation (IAMI).

Both are supported by Waterloo’s Centre for Advanced

Materials Joining (CAMJ). Directed by Professor Norman

Zhou, Canada Research Chair in Microjoining, CAMJ

conducts research and development in micro- and

nano-joining, brazing, as well as laser, arc, and resistance

welding to develop lightweight automotive components.

“Our materials joining facility is one of the best in the

world,” says Zhou. “The research we’re conducting in

welding and joining will lead to the manufacturing of

lighter, more durable vehicles in the future.”

Making lighter vehicles is only part of the sustainability

story. WatCAR research is also helping reduce the harmful

tailpipe emissions generated by diesel-powered vehicles.

While diesel vehicles are more fuel efficient than gasoline

vehicles, their emissions are more difficult to filter.

As well, catalytic converters for diesel are coated with

platinum, making them expensive. Associate professor

Bill Epling is addressing both of these challenges: using

a novel technique to measure gas concentrations in the

converter, he has discovered that only a portion of it

needs the coating, making it less expensive. He’s also

developing a catalytic converter for diesel-powered

vehicles that more efficiently filters out harmful

tailpipe emissions.

“Vehicles contribute considerably

to CO2 emissions, with less

from diesel than gasoline,”

says Epling. “A better

and cheaper catalytic

converter for diesel

will mean reduced

emissions and greater

fuel efficiency.”

This is a challenging and exciting time for the global automotive industry. Assemblers, parts manufacturers, and materials suppliers are striving to maintain a competitive advantage by improving or reinventing vehicle concepts and production methods.

A commitment and reputation for collaboration makes it easy for industry to conduct business with us. Groundbreaking research is the focus of automotive research at the University of Waterloo, but blending innovation with safety, sustainability, and intelligence is at the core of its mission. With more than 115 academics connected to the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR), we’re providing research expertise and developing specialized innovations in five core areas:

» Connected Car and Telematics, » Green Propulsion and Powertrain, » Lightweighting and Sustainability, » Software and Systems, » Structural Performance.

As Canada’s largest group of academic automotive researchers, WatCAR is leading the way in these times of change by providing the most up-to-date findings on established and emerging technologies.

Amir KhajepourExecutive Director, WatCAR

Canada Research Chair in Mechatronic Vehicle Systems

Postdoctoral fellows and graduate students create and collaborate on new innova

tions

in a

utom

otiv

e re

sear

ch a

t W

ater

loo.

AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH

RE

SEA

RC

H A

T WA

TER

LOO

Amir Khajepour, Automotive Research at Waterloo

AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH

Putting safety first What do next generation safety features mean for the average driver? Features like innovative sensors, wireless vehicle communication, driver assist, and active safety control systems mean that when you’re driving on a snow-covered road, your vehicle is anticipating what’s ahead and taking steps to avoid an accident before you can spot the upcoming danger. These features will result in reduced collisions, lower repair costs, and lives saved.

Waterloo researchers are helping manufacturers stay at the forefront of technologies that share information between vehicles, roadside infrastructure, and smart phones. Advances in connectivity between vehicles will allow intelligent vehicles equipped with specialized sensors to share safety-critical information such as slippery roads, as well as alerting emergency service providers and road authorities.

“These innovations in intelligent transportation help keep drivers safe and traffic flowing smoothly,” says Bruce Hellinga, professor of civil and environmental engineering.

Associate professor Duane Cronin is working on a different automotive safety challenge: preventing injury. He’s developed computer-generated human body models including the world’s most detailed model of the human neck and spine. Using this model, researchers can predict where an injury, such as whiplash, occurs and modify the design of headrests, seats, airbags, and vehicle structure to prevent it.

WatCAR researchers are considering auto worker safety as well. Professor Jack Callaghan, Canada Research Chair in Spine Biomechanics and Injury Prevention, and his team conduct ergonomic research on automotive assembly line processes. The expected outcome is improved assembly line designs, leading to reduced repetitive strain injuries of the lower back, shoulders, and wrists.

Clearly, Waterloo is making the world a safer place to live, work, and drive.

Computer modelling methods improve vehicle performance, safety, and sustainability From fast software generation and debugging strategies

to powerful modelling and simulation tools, WatCAR is

helping to streamline the development-to-production

process for the vehicles of tomorrow.

WatCAR researchers have created computer modelling

methods that enable fast, real-time automotive simulation.

Using model-based methods for product development,

modification, and testing reduces the number of prototype

iterations required, dramatically lowering the cost of

vehicle production. “The future of automotive design is

model-based development, in which mathematical models

are used to design, control, and test the next generation

of electric and hybrid electric vehicles,” says Professor

John McPhee, who holds the NSERC/Toyota/Maplesoft

Industrial Research Chair in Mathematics-Based Modelling

and Design at Waterloo.

The WatCAR team also uses modelling to create active

safety systems to improve vehicle control, such as

computer-generated models that simulate vehicle behaviour

in dangerous driving scenarios. The simulation results are

used to create electronic stability controllers, which can

correct dangerous scenarios by actuating the steering,

brakes, and traction motors. For example, if a car is not

facing the direction in which it is moving, sensors will detect

this and signal the control system to brake or drive certain

wheels, counteract the manoeuvre with active steering, cut

power to the engine, and return safe control to the driver.

What’s more, modelling is used to help reduce emissions,

optimize fuel economy, and improve comfort. Researchers

like assistant professor Nasser Azad are creating

computer-generated models of internal combustion engine

drivetrains and hybrid electric powertrains. These models

are used to develop control strategies that manipulate

engine and transmission inputs such as spark timing,

air-fuel ratio, and gear shifting to achieve fuel efficiency

and lower emissions.

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO the full spectrum of research

“The changes made to seating in

commercial and fleet vehicles are critical

given that lower back pain is one of

the top three worldwide occupational

health problems and directly linked

to prolonged vehicle use.”

Jack P. Callaghan Kinesiology at

Waterloo

Driven by green power The global movement to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels has triggered robust

research in viable green propulsion systems, such as electric and plug-in hybrid

vehicles that are powered by clean, renewable energy sources.

Professor Mehrdad Kazerani is on the cutting edge of green propulsion systems research

at Waterloo. Developing a high performance hybrid energy storage system and a smart

charger for electric vehicles has been a focus of his research. A smart charger charges

the battery from the central power grid when electricity is most abundant and least

expensive, and transfers power back to the grid, according to the car owner’s specified

preferences, when the grid needs power.

Along with electric vehicle related research, Kazerani’s team is working on the hydrogen

fuel cell battery, which uses hydrogen generated from clean energy sources such as wind

and solar. Since electricity provided by both the battery and hydrogen fuel cell must run

through a DC to DC converter before it can power a vehicle, Kazerani has been improving

the efficiency of these converters to provide better fuel economy.

Research and innovation like this are establishing Waterloo as a leader in the transition

from fossil fuel dependence to renewable sources of energy.

Creating lightweight, sustainable vehicle technologies Producing vehicles made from lightweight yet durable

materials is a primary goal for auto manufacturers, and

determining which materials to use is a primary goal for

WatCAR researchers. Lighter vehicles mean greater fuel

efficiency, enhanced safety, and reduced tailpipe emissions.

WatCAR researchers are working with ultra-high strength

steel, aluminum, and magnesium alloys to develop vehicle

components that are lightweight, formable, durable, and

crashworthy. They collaborate with industry on research

programs such as the Magnesium Network (MagNet) and the

Initiative for Automotive Manufacturing Innovation (IAMI).

Both are supported by Waterloo’s Centre for Advanced

Materials Joining (CAMJ). Directed by Professor Norman

Zhou, Canada Research Chair in Microjoining, CAMJ

conducts research and development in micro- and

nano-joining, brazing, as well as laser, arc, and resistance

welding to develop lightweight automotive components.

“Our materials joining facility is one of the best in the

world,” says Zhou. “The research we’re conducting in

welding and joining will lead to the manufacturing of

lighter, more durable vehicles in the future.”

Making lighter vehicles is only part of the sustainability

story. WatCAR research is also helping reduce the harmful

tailpipe emissions generated by diesel-powered vehicles.

While diesel vehicles are more fuel efficient than gasoline

vehicles, their emissions are more difficult to filter.

As well, catalytic converters for diesel are coated with

platinum, making them expensive. Associate professor

Bill Epling is addressing both of these challenges: using

a novel technique to measure gas concentrations in the

converter, he has discovered that only a portion of it

needs the coating, making it less expensive. He’s also

developing a catalytic converter for diesel-powered

vehicles that more efficiently filters out harmful

tailpipe emissions.

“Vehicles contribute considerably

to CO2 emissions, with less

from diesel than gasoline,”

says Epling. “A better

and cheaper catalytic

converter for diesel

will mean reduced

emissions and greater

fuel efficiency.”

This is a challenging and exciting time for the global automotive industry. Assemblers, parts manufacturers, and materials suppliers are striving to maintain a competitive advantage by improving or reinventing vehicle concepts and production methods.

A commitment and reputation for collaboration makes it easy for industry to conduct business with us. Groundbreaking research is the focus of automotive research at the University of Waterloo, but blending innovation with safety, sustainability, and intelligence is at the core of its mission. With more than 115 academics connected to the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR), we’re providing research expertise and developing specialized innovations in five core areas:

» Connected Car and Telematics, » Green Propulsion and Powertrain, » Lightweighting and Sustainability, » Software and Systems, » Structural Performance.

As Canada’s largest group of academic automotive researchers, WatCAR is leading the way in these times of change by providing the most up-to-date findings on established and emerging technologies.

Amir KhajepourExecutive Director, WatCAR

Canada Research Chair in Mechatronic Vehicle Systems

Postdoctoral fellows and graduate students create and collaborate on new innova

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Amir Khajepour, Automotive Research at Waterloo

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researchUNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO the full spectrum of research

AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH

Learn more about automotive research at Waterloo: watcar.uwaterloo.ca

Waterloo is changing the way the world drives.

Research investigations at the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR) represent the largest university-based automotive activity in Canada and focus on enhancing automotive innovation and competitiveness.

Based in the Faculty of Engineering, we conduct leading-edge research across all six faculties at the University of Waterloo using complementary expertise in each area to create a diverse and valuable research impact. For example, automotive research includes the Faculty of Mathematics (computer software), Faculty of Science (electrochemistry and nano-materials), Faculty of Environment (knowledge integration), Faculty of Applied Health Sciences (kinesiology), and Faculty of Arts (voice recognition).

WatCAR’s vision of future transportation is lightweight, safe, and intelligent vehicles that are powered by clean energy and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Automotive innovations being developed at Waterloo include:

» Vehicles wirelessly connected to each other and infrastructure to share information about traffic congestion, accidents, construction, and road conditions,

» Technologies to improve energy storage systems, enabling longer range and broaderuse of hybrid and pure electric vehicles,

» Lightweight, crashworthy, and durable vehicle structures and components madefrom ultra-high strength steel, aluminum, and magnesium,

» Advanced virtual crash test simulations that provide the world’s most detailedmodels of the human body to understand injury and improve safety,

» Leading-edge combustion diagnostics and emissions reduction devices including inexpensive catalytic converter materials and technologies,

» Computer-generated models that simulate vehicle behaviourin dangerous driving scenarios and advanced stability systems to help drivers maintain traction and control,

» Smart chargers that allow plug-in electric vehicles toform a mobile distributed energy storage network.

SO WHAT IS WatCAR?

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» WatCAR includes over 115 automotive researchers from the faculties of engineering,science, mathematics/computing, applied health sciences, environment, and arts, representing the largest university-based automotive activity in Canada.

» Waterloo is home to: • Canada’s largest Faculty of Engineering, as well as Canada’s first undergraduate and only

graduate mechatronics programs, • North America’s second largest electrical and computer engineering department, • the world’s largest post-secondary co-operative education program.

» Strength in mathematics-based modelling and design of vehicle components and software through the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, part of the world’s first and largest faculty of mathematics.

» WatCAR partners include assemblers, parts manufacturers, and materials suppliers across North America, Europe, and Asia.

» Automotive-based student teams offer unique product evaluation and partnership opportunities.

» Automotive research at Waterloo is supported by several multidisciplinarycentres and laboratories with relevant automotive expertise including:

• Centre for Advanced Materials Joining (CAMJ) which excels at wirebonding and laser welding,

• Centre for Intelligent Antenna and Radio Systems (CIARS), home toan electronically shielded R/F anechoic vehicle test chamber that is large enough for a full-size 2½ ton pickup truck,

• Giga-to-Nano Electronics Laboratory (G2N), a part of the Waterloo Institutefor Nanotechnology (WIN) that is developing thin-film solar panels,

• Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) which fosters thedevelopment of innovative technologies, choices, and alternatives to existing energy production and delivery systems.

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Cutting-edge innovations – the key to a competitive advantage in an industry of continuous change.

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Student Design Centre

At Waterloo, a 20,000-square-foot student design centre provides space for 16 student teams to design and showcase award-winning projects such as solar and alternative fuel vehicles built for international competition. Vehicles are judged on design excellence, problem solving, performance, crashworthiness, and environmental friendliness. Students work with industrial partners who support and sponsor the teams.

» Waterloo attracts over $169 million in research funding annually.

» Waterloo’s unique intellectual property rights policy promotes the university’s attributes and reputation as innovative, unconventional, and creative by:

• assuring researchers and industry across Canada that the generation of ideas is supported and protected,

• piquing the interests of future researchers, including students, who aspire to contribute to research themselves,

• encouraging researchers and partners to collaborate while taking risks in their thinking and inventions.

» 1,000+ faculty

» 4,420 graduate students;28,370 undergraduate students

» 60 Canada Research Chairs

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Office of Research

University of Waterloo

200 University Avenue West

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1

research.uwaterloo.ca