A reduced-scale autonomous morphing vehicle prototype with enhanced aerodynamic efficiency

Road vehicles contribute to significant levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A potential strategy for improving their aerodynamic efficiency and reducing emissions is through active adaptation of their exterior shapes to the aerodynamic environment. In this study, we present a reduced-scale morphing vehicle prototype capable of actively interacting with the aerodynamic environment to enhance fuel economy. Morphing is accomplished by retrofitting a deformable structure actively actuated by built-in motors. The morphing vehicle prototype is integrated with an optimization algorithm that can autonomously identify the structural shape that minimizes aerodynamic drag. The performance of the morphing vehicle prototype is investigated through an extensive experimental campaign in a large-scale wind tunnel facility. The autonomous optimization algorithm identifies an optimal morphing shape that can elicit an 8.5% reduction in the mean drag force. Our experiments provide a comprehensive dataset that validates the efficiency of shape morphing, demonstrating a clear and consistent decrease in the drag force as the vehicle transitions from a suboptimal to the optimal shape. Insights gained from experiments on scaled-down models provide valuable guidelines for the design of full-size morphing vehicles, which could lead to appreciable energy savings and reductions in GHG emissions. This study highlights the feasibility and benefits of real-time shape morphing under conditions representative of realistic road environments, paving the way for the realization of full-scale morphing vehicles with enhanced aerodynamic efficiency and reduced GHG emissions.