Automated vehicles are becoming more prevalent in the modern world. Using platoons of automated vehicles can have numerous benefits including increasing the safety of drivers as well as streamlining roadway operations. How individual automated vehicles within a platoon react to each other is essential to creating an efficient method of travel. This paper looks at two individual vehicles forming a platoon and tracks the time headway between the two. Several speed profiles are explored for the following vehicle including a triangular and trapezoidal speed profile. It is discovered that a safety violation occurs during platoon formation where the desired time headway between the vehicles is violated. The aim of this research is to explore if this violation can be eliminated or reduced through utilization of different speed profiles.

Pelvic Circumferential Compression Devices (PCCDs), an important medical device when caring for patients with pelvic fractures, play a crucial role in the stabilization and reduction of the fracture. During pelvic fracture cases, control of internal bleeding through access to the femoral artery is of utmost importance. Current designs of PCCDs do not allow vital access to this artery and in attempts to gain access, medical professionals and emergency care providers choose to cut into the PCCDs or place them in suboptimal positions with unknown downstream effects. We researched the effects on surface pressure and the overall pressure distribution created by the PCCDs when they are modified or placed incorrectly on the patient. In addition, we investigated the effects of those misuses on pelvic fracture reduction, a key parameter in stabilizing the patient during critical care. We hypothesized that incorrectly placing or modifying the PCCD will result in increased surface pressure and decreased fracture reduction. Our mannequin studies show that for SAM Sling and T-POD, surface pressure increases if a PCCD is incorrectly placed or modified, in support of our hypothesis. However, opposite results occurred for the Pelvic Binder, where the correctly placed PCCD had higher surface pressure when compared to the incorrectly placed or modified PCCD. Additionally, pressure distribution was significantly affected by the modification of the PCCDs. The cadaver lab measurements show that modifying or incorrectly placing the PCCDs significantly limits their ability to reduce the pelvic fracture. These results suggest that while modifying or incorrectly placing PCCDs allows access to the femoral artery, there are potentially dangerous effects to the patient including increased surface pressures and limited fracture reduction.

Pelvic Circumferential Compression Devices (PCCDs), an important medical device when caring for patients with pelvic fractures, play a crucial role in the stabilization and reduction of the fracture. During pelvic fracture cases, control of internal bleeding through access to the femoral artery is of utmost importance. Current designs of PCCDs do not allow vital access to this artery and in attempts to gain access, medical professionals and emergency care providers choose to cut into the PCCDs or place them in suboptimal positions with unknown downstream effects. We researched the effects on surface pressure and the overall pressure distribution created by the PCCDs when they are modified or placed incorrectly on the patient. In addition, we investigated the effects of those misuses on pelvic fracture reduction, a key parameter in stabilizing the patient during critical care. We hypothesized that incorrectly placing or modifying the PCCD will result in increased surface pressure and decreased fracture reduction. Our mannequin studies show that for SAM Sling and T-POD, surface pressure increases if a PCCD is incorrectly placed or modified, in support of our hypothesis. However, opposite results occurred for the Pelvic Binder, where the correctly placed PCCD had higher surface pressure when compared to the incorrectly placed or modified PCCD. Additionally, pressure distribution was significantly affected by the modification of the PCCDs. The cadaver lab measurements show that modifying or incorrectly placing the PCCDs significantly limits their ability to reduce the pelvic fracture. These results suggest that while modifying or incorrectly placing PCCDs allows access to the femoral artery, there are potentially dangerous effects to the patient including increased surface pressures and limited fracture reduction.