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With the aim of improving the energy efficiency of conventional vehicles, this paper proposes a pneumatic hybrid engine concept, which features regenerative braking and compressed-air-assisted cranking functions. In the regenerative braking mode, the engine works as a two-stroke compressor and converts the kinematic energy of the vehicle into compressed air. In the two-stroke air motor mode, a throttle valve in the intake manifold is used to block the ambient air, and an electropneumatic solenoid valve is employed to control the compressed-air injection. The compressor mode is modelled on the basis of thermodynamics and gas dynamics theories and is improved according to the bench test results of a single-cylinder engine converted from a two-cylinder diesel engine. Transient engine cranking tests are also conducted and are discussed. Urban driving-cycle simulation results show that the fuel consumption of a light-duty vehicle with a pneumatic hybrid system can be reduced by 8%.

Motion sickness is very common in road transport. To guarantee ride comfort and user experience, there is an urgent need for effective solutions to motion sickness mitigation in semi-and fully-automated vehicles. Considering both effectiveness and user-friendliness, a vibration cue system is proposed to inform passengers of the upcoming vehicle movement through tactile stimulation. By integrating the motion planning results from automated driving algorithms, the vibration cueing timing and patterns are optimized with the theory of motion anticipation. Using a cushion-based prototype of vibration cue system, 20 participants were invited to evaluate this solution in two conditions of driving simulator experiments. Results show that with the proposed vibration cue system, it could also help participants to comprehend the cues and to generate motion anticipation. The participants' motion sickness degrees were significantly lowered. This research may serve as one foundation for the detailed system development in practical applications.