A bunch of students over at Deakin University believe that they have managed to solve the problem of three-wheeler vehicles falling over, clearly believing in the adage that prevention is far better than cure. Well, they intend to turn their idea and research into money through the search for manufacturing partners who are willing to introduce a new (and safe) motorcycle-car crossover into production.
Why not look at the tuk-tuks in Thailand? Those three-wheelers have proved to be useful in transporting millions of people every day through the urban areas of Bangkok, although the sense of safety that you get in riding one of these might not be the highest you’ll experience.
Basically, the Deakin University’s team solved the tilt issue by developing an affordable fully-automatic tilt control mechanism known as SafeRide. The driver’s own balancing sense will augment the system, so that whenever the vehicle enters a situation where tipping over has a high chance of happening, the driver will naturally “lean against” the tilt helps restore balance, with the help of the SafeRide system, of course.
Prototypes have already been constructed, where they deliver fuel economy of better than 2.5 litres per 100km, in addition to other technological wonders such as ABS brakes, airbags and seatbelts.
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