Journal of the Society of Automotive Engineers Malaysia

Development of Malaysia's Dashcam Rating Program: Results and Insights from CAMSCORE Phase 1

2026-08-26T06:31:59+00:00

The Dashboard Camera Safety Scorecard (CAMSCORE) is a national initiative launched in 2022 by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) in collaboration with CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM). Developed under the Memorandum of Cooperation between both agencies, the program introduces a star rating system to evaluate dashcams available in the Malaysian market. CAMSCORE assesses products based on three main criteria: basic features, advanced features, and Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) alerts. The program aims to enhance consumer awareness, promote the adoption of reliable dashcam technologies, and encourage safer driving practices while supporting road crash investigation efforts. During Phase 1 of the program, 60 dashcam models from both international and local brands were evaluated, with results ranging from two to five stars. Findings from this phase provide key insights into current market readiness, feature distribution, and the potential of dashcam technology to strengthen national road safety outcomes. By serving as a reliable tool for guiding consumer purchasing decisions, CAMSCORE is expected to contribute to national road safety efforts through the adoption of in-vehicle digital technologies, particularly dashcams.

A Glance Review on Self-Balancing Motorbike

2026-08-26T07:17:52+00:00

In recent years, significant advancements have been achieved in two wheeled transportations known as motorbikes specifically on self- balancing motorbikes. This achievement is the result of new technologies’ advancement, artificial intelligence, electric powertrains, and their integration. Considerable research and academia around the globe have reported their research on adopting and adapting this new technology. For these reasons, it is important to highlight new findings and approaches in this domain that are relevant to assist in advancing this new revolution. This article presents a glance review of historical advancements in self-balancing motorbikes, the relationship between motorbike geometry and self-balancing, and key technologies involved in self-balancing systems in motorbikes. The aim is to contribute to this rapidly growing field of self-balancing research by exploring the latest research findings on the solution approach, to help expedite future research, and to give some future direction that needs to be considered as a path to produce a standardized dynamic self-balancing motorbike.

A Review of Pattern Recognition Control Methods for Activation of Instrumented Wheelchair Power Assist Systems Based on sEMG Reading

2026-08-26T07:33:43+00:00

Power-assisted wheelchairs have transformed rehabilitation technologies, providing people with disabilities more freedom and mobility. Signals from surface electromyography (sEMG) are vital for providing intuitive control over these systems. With an emphasis on classification accuracy, computational requirements, and suitability for instrumented wheelchair systems, this review assesses several pattern recognition techniques such as KNN, SVM, LDA, LSTM, Decision Trees, and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). The study highlights the growing significance of hybrid approaches that combine pattern recognition techniques to increase robustness and precision. Even though KNN has the highest accuracy, methods such as LSTM and SVM are more effective and versatile, making them more appropriate for real-time applications. The results highlight the necessity of more research into personalized systems and hybrid models, which have huge potential to advance assistive technologies.

Development and Validation of a Work-Related Road Safety (WRRS) Assessment Tool for Malaysia

2026-08-26T06:40:54+00:00

Work-related road safety (WRRS) is an emerging occupational safety and health priority in Malaysia, yet organizations lack a standardized tool to systematically assess WRRS management practices. This paper reports the development and content validation of a WRRS Assessment Tool tailored to the Malaysian context. The tool was developed using best-practice guidelines, findings from a prior cross-sectional study, and expert input obtained through a Delphi-based focus group process. A panel of seven purposively selected road safety experts from experts from government, research, academia, and industry evaluated the instrument for face and content validity. The questionnaire comprised four sections: organizational background; infrastructure; background of the person in charge, fleet, and crash involvement; and WRRS management practices. Content validity was assessed using the Content Validity Index (CVI) for each item (I-CVI) and for the overall scale (S-CVI), taking into account relevance, ambiguity, clarity, and simplicity. All items achieved acceptable I-CVI values, indicating excellent overall content validity according to established criteria and strong consensus among the experts. The WRRS Assessment Tool provides a structured, context-specific audit framework to support Malaysian organizations in measuring, monitoring, and improving WRRS performance. It aligns with Malaysia’s Road Safety Plan 2022-2030 and National Vision Zero aspirations and is poised to facilitate systematic identification and management of workplace road safety risks, thereby contributing to reductions in occupational road traffic injuries and fatalities.

Design of the Driver's Cockpit for Next Generation Vehicle (NxGV) 2025 Formula Car

2026-08-26T07:22:30+00:00

This paper presents the structural and ergonomic design of the driver’s cockpit for a student formula race car developed for the Next Generation Vehicle (NxGV) Challenge 2025. The cockpit, located centrally within the chassis alongside the engine bay, plays a critical role in ensuring driver safety and comfort during high-speed operation. The chassis was fabricated using low-carbon steel with MIG welding to meet the competition’s material and manufacturing requirements. Driver anthropometric measurements were utilized to inform the initial design, ensuring compliance with dimensional regulations. A complete CAD model was developed using Autodesk Inventor 2024, and a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was conducted to evaluate the structural integrity of the cockpit under a maximum applied force of 3000 N. The analysis revealed maximum deflections of 0.01589 inches along the Z-axis, 0.013 inches along the X-axis, and 0.0035 inches along the Y-axis. These results highlight the necessity for localized reinforcement, particularly at the front and rear ends of the chassis, to enhance crashworthiness and maintain driver protection in impact scenarios.

Innovative Design and Development of Electrical System for FRATEC EV Race Car

2026-08-26T07:38:01+00:00

Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly seen as a sustainable alternative to internal combustion vehicles, especially in high-performance areas like competitive racing. Designing compact, efficient, and reliable electrical systems for motorsport environments remains a challenge. This paper details the design and implementation of a fully integrated electrical control system for the FRATEC EV Race Car, developed for the 2025 Next Generation Vehicle (NxGV) competition. The goal was to create a lightweight, modular electrical architecture that ensures stable propulsion, robust safety features, and real-time diagnostics. The system includes a 96V lithium-ion battery with a
Battery Management System (BMS), a Green Motor Technology controller, a DC-DC converter, an onboard AC charger, and auxiliary subsystems like Electric Power Steering (EPS) and brake pumps, all connected via a Controller Area Network (CAN Bus). The design distributes power across high and low voltage domains and coordinates subsystems using shielded CAN communication. Bench testing and field trials, including a full race simulation at NxGV 2025, evaluated performance metrics such as temperature rise, current load distribution, communication integrity, and system efficiency. The system achieved a peak efficiency of 91.5%, fault- free CAN communication across over 50,000 messages, and safe thermal behavior with controller and battery temperatures below 45°C. The successful race event completion without system failure demonstrated the design's robustness and scalability. The results suggest this system could serve as a reference model for educational, research, and prototype-level EV projects. The FRATEC EV’s electrical system represents a practical, high-performance solution for next-generation EV applications, combining safety, efficiency, and modularity.

Effect of Impact Attenuator Geometry on Head Injury Criterion (HIC) in NxGV Challenge Vehicles

2026-08-26T07:42:30+00:00

The Next Generation Vehicle (NxGV) Challenge, organized by PERODUA, SAE Malaysia, and the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) is a student competition featuring race cars similar to those in Formula SAE. These vehicles are powered by electric motors with a maximum power limit of 70 horsepower. A mandatory rule of the competition requires each vehicle to be equipped with an impact attenuator mounted at the front of the chassis. The driver's safety during frontal collisions is critically influenced by the design of the impact attenuator. This study investigates the effect of varying impact attenuator geometries on the Head Injury Criterion (HIC), a widely accepted metric for evaluating the severity of head injuries in crash scenarios. Using finite element analysis, several attenuator configurations differing in shape were subjected to standardized impact conditions. The resulting head acceleration data were used to calculate HIC values, allowing for a comparative assessment of design performance. Results indicate that a hollow design of impact attenuator for this study allows for greater material deformation during impact, enhancing energy absorption and contributing to lower Head Injury Criterion (HIC) values. The findings underscore the importance of geometric optimization in attenuator design to enhance driver safety and meet NxGV Challenge regulatory requirements. This research provides practical insights for Formula Student teams aiming to design efficient, lightweight, and regulation-compliant impact attenuators.

Innovative Engineering of the FRATEC EV Race Car: A Sustainable Approach to Performance and Safety

2026-08-26T07:58:17+00:00

The FRATEC EV Race Car project by Politeknik Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (PSMZA) shows progress in eco-friendly car engineering. The car has a lightweight frame made from steel tubes, which makes it strong and safe. A special crash box protects the driver in front-end collisions. Tests showed the frame can handle a 3000 N impact without breaking. The car was built with precision, using welded steel tubes and carbon fiber sheets. Performance tests confirmed the car's safety and efficiency, with braking distances between 3.2 and 10.3 meters and good thermal management during acceleration. The electrical system worked well, meeting standards for battery voltage, voltage drop, CAN bus telemetry, and power efficiency. The FRATEC EV Race Car will compete in the NxGV Challenge Competition 2025, further demonstrating its innovative and sustainable design.

Revolutionizing Track Racing Chassis: Performance Enhancements through Geometrical Design and Machine Learning Analysis

2026-08-26T08:03:34+00:00

Developing high-performance track racing vehicles presents numerous design challenges, particularly in optimizing chassis geometry for structural efficiency under extreme dynamic loads. This study investigates the impact of advanced geometric configurations on chassis performance by systematically analyzing and comparing multiple design iterations. Machine learning techniques are integrated to evaluate and validate the structural performance of various chassis designs, providing a data-driven complement to traditional Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methods. The results reveal significant improvements in structural integrity and performance metrics, such as Von
Mises stress distribution and deformation, for two different chassis designs. These findings highlight the importance of innovative design and computational analysis in advancing chassis development for track racing. The research offers practical recommendations for engineers and designers, especially regarding key areas for future innovation and improvement in chassis optimization for track racing.