Automotive

SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept

SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
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The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
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The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
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The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
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The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
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The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
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The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
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The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
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The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
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The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
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You’ve gotta hand it to Industrial Design students. They have the youth and imagination to come up with some really intriguing ideas, along with the skills and tools to give us tantalizing glimpses of what those ideas might actually look like. Case in point: The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design’s recent graduate Carl Archambeault, and his Scarab concept.

The Scarab would be an all-electric autonomous police chase assistance vehicle. It could either be stationed at the side of the road, in a check stop scenario, or it could presumably be towed behind a conventional police car. To use it, a police officer would first have to “tag” the fleeing vehicle with a handheld electronic device. The Scarab would then “lock on” to that vehicle, not unlike jet fighters already do with their targeting systems.

At that point, the officer could end his own pursuit, and leave the fast, light, nimble Scarab to chase down the other vehicle. It could navigate using onboard sensors and computers, although it could also be remotely-controlled if desired. The idea is that once the fugitive driver realized they couldn’t shake the thing, they would pull over. The Scarab would wait with their vehicle, until an officer showed up. Although Archambeault stipulates that it would not carry weapons, he says it could be equipped with an electromagnetic pulse generator, or other vehicle-disabling technology.

The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept
The SCARAB Police Chase Assistant concept

Why would we want it? For one thing, it would reduce the number of times officers had to risk their lives in high-speed pursuits. Archambeault thinks it would also reduce collateral damage, as its small size and light weight would result in less serious accidents. If multiple Scarabs were used for something like a speed trap, one officer could simultaneously pull over several vehicles, then get to them one at a time. In the case of high-profile O.J. Simpson-type chases, less officers would be needed, freeing them up to do more patrolling. Also, because of its electric motor, it wouldn’t create any emissions.

Perhaps its biggest selling point, however... it looks hotter than Hell! C’mon, wouldn’t you want to see one of these things tearing down the street? It would almost be enough to make you want to be pulled over by the cops. Almost.

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17 comments
17 comments
Drew__1
I can\'t really understand why you would use a UGV instead of a UAV, apart from anything else, a UAV is less obtrusive, which is less likely to cause people to flee resulting in \"persuit accidents\" and you wouldn\'t have to worry about your UGV being responsible for killing pedestrians or other road users.

It seems like a lot of added risk and complexity for no added benefit.
Island Architect
It is stunning how few get that 3 wheeled vehicles are inherently unstable. Yes the rendering is fun but it is airheaded like a beautiful woman who only can say duuuh.
Sean Francis
Although the UGV looks good it is just rubbish. Chases occur when people do not want to be caught. The second that a suspect has one following him, and the officers have broken off, they will flee on foot. No officer to chase him in a UGV. Time would be better spent in finding a low cost, safe, disabling device that would allow the officers to end the pursuit sooner.
Terotech
Fit it with a weapon and blow these loonies off the road!
jerryd
Drew and Sean are correct, this is a bad idea.
Island doesn\'t know what he is talking about, 3wh vehicles, especially EV\'s can be the best handling vehicles if designed right with equal weight on each wheel and a low CG. However this design is unl;ikely to be a good one as the batteries must be between the front wheels for good CG and there isn\'t enough room. Move the front wheels back another \' or so and balance it correctly and it would be OK handling wise.
Goatman
There is no reason why a trike can\'t be a stable vehicle. There are plenty of real high performance ones out there. As Jerry D said, the centre of mass just needs to be very low and near but behind the front \"axle\". There is another Engineering problem that these \"window dressers\" need to address - the vehicle will roll (because it has double A arm front suspension), in a good design with these wide tyres it would also need roll camber compensation to keep those tyres \"square\" to the road. How is that to be achieved at the rear?
Will, the tink
@Drew__1 is right. A UAV would go unnoticed thereby tracking the vehicle and tracking the suspect further, if they bail. It might even negate the need for a police helicopter, which is expensive. At the very least it could be deployed by ground units to track and report, including video, until a helicopter could take over if needed.
Nantha Nithiahnanthan
If the getaway vehicle jumps onto and off a pavement, this little 3-wheeler will just topple over. End of story. Great design exercise, though. The Scarab design would be better off as a real 3 wheeled electric vehicle, i think.
fortyfivefiftysix
For what is supposed to be a group of intelligent people most of the commentators seem to be missing the point...this was project by engineering students. The purpose of the these concept projects is to teach. The goal was creative thinking. Great work Carl!!! As for the nay sayers....keep telling everyone how bad they\'re ideas are. It only shows how narrow minded you are.


Doc
ragtopman
Good design excercise. However, we need an autonomous wave-skimming oil vacuum more right now anayway: more feasable and absolutely necessary, whereas this is not.
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