Evaluation of Exterior Automotive Mirror Designs for Coefficient of Drag

This project was used to analyze the human response to automotive exterior mirror vibrations. Test subjects participated in a clinic to rate and compare their responses to these mirrors using a rating scale. During this clinic, various frequencies and amplitudes were varied using many different combinations.

The entire project consisted of four main areas. The first was the construction of the experimental apparatuses. The apparatuses were built in the Hope College machine shop, and provide a rigid housing for the mirrors and shakers while vibrating. Secondly, the equipment and setup for the clinic was developed. This included two frequency generators, two amplifiers, two accelerometers, a data acquisition box, a PC with LabView, and a proper environment for the experiment. Thirdly, eight subjects went through a clinic. First they rated a single mirror and then they compared two mirrors at three frequencies (20Hz, 50Hz, and 80Hz) at various amplitudes. A LabView program, developed by James Ruse of Magna Donnelly, was used in order to make this clinic run smoothly and to also store accelerometer and function generator data.