Phone: (905) 825-8088 www.volvoofoakville.com SERVICE DEPARTMENT OPEN SATURDAYS BUY LOCALLY SERVICE LOCALLY SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY 1 9 W ed n esd ay, Feb ru ary 10, 2010 O A K V ILLE B E A V E R w w w .o a k v ille b e a v e r.co m NASA and GM create cutting edge robotic technology Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine NASA and General Motors are working together to accelerate development of the next generation of robots and related tech- nologies for use in the automotive and aero- space industries. Engineers and scientists from NASA and GM worked together through a Space Act Agreement at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston to build a new humanoid robot capable of working side by side with people. Using leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, future robots could assist astronauts during hazardous space missions and help GM build safer cars and plants. The two organizations, with the help of engineers from Oceaneering Space Systems of Houston, developed and built the next iter- ation of Robonaut. Robonaut 2, or R2, is a faster, more dexter- ous and more technologically advanced robot. This new generation robot can use its hands to do work beyond the scope of prior humanoid machines. R2 can work safely alongside people, a necessity both on Earth and in space. The idea of using dexterous, human-like robots capable of using their hands to do intri- cate work is not new to the aerospace industry. The original Robonaut, a humanoid robot designed for space travel, was built by the software, robotics and simulation division at Johnson in a collaborative effort with the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency 10 years ago. During the past decade, NASA gained sig- nificant expertise in building robotic tech- nologies for space applications. These capa- bilities will help NASA launch a bold new era of space exploration. Chevrolet Tahoe Police vehicle achieves lowest lifecycle cost recognition Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine The Chevrolet Tahoe Police 2WD vehicle was found to have the lowest lifecycle cost in the law enforcement market by Vincentric, a company specializing in the area of automo- bile lifecycle analysis. Vincentric recently released their 2010 law enforcement vehicle market analysis that measured 20 mileage/lifecycle timeframes and the Tahoe Police 2WD enjoyed the lowest lifecycle cost in the majority of scenarios. The lifecycle computation analysis evalu- ated seven factors: depreciation expense, fuel costs, finance costs, opportunity costs, main- tenance costs, repair costs, and insurance costs. When these seven factors were ana- lyzed for 2010 police models of the Chevrolet Tahoe 2WD, Chevrolet Impala, Ford Crown Victoria, and Dodge Charger, it was the Chevrolet Tahoe that came out on top due to its strong residual value. In addition to the lowest lifecycle costs in the law enforcement market, the Chevy Tahoe offers extensive functionality. A wide range of applications valued by law enforce- ment agencies are available including HAZ- MAT, K9, medical, and tactical operations, with both police and special service packages. Lifecycle cost analysis allows government agencies to more effectively compare the cost to own and operate law enforcement vehicles. The data provided facilitates a better informed decision about which vehicles pro- vide the combination of features essential to their operations versus the overall lifecycle costs. Our intent with any of our fleet lifecycle cost analyses is to provide guidance to all types of fleet buyers, including small busi- nesses, large commercial fleets and police and other government organizations, stated David Wurster, President of Vincentric. By looking at as many different mileage/lifecycle timeframe scenarios as possible, were able to account for a wide variety of driving and own- ership patterns and provide an independent, solid foundation for accurately evaluating the lifecycle costs of fleet vehicles. Across all scenarios in the study, the Chevrolet police vehicles costs were lower than those of the Ford Crown Victoria and Dodge Charger. The Chevrolet Tahoe Police 2WD vehicle was found to have the lowest lifecycle cost in the law enforce- ment market in a study by Vincentric, a company specializing in the area of automobile lifecycle analysis. The technology derived from the NASA/General Motors robotics partnership will be used to devel- op advanced safety systems for future vehicles, improved safety and efficiency in manufacturing plants.