Online Documents

• Automobile Design: Year 2010 and Beyond.  This overview of future automobile technology was presented at the J.D. Power Powertrain Seminar in Troy, Michigan on May 22, 1997 by Robert Q. Riley.   You can view the slides and speech on line, or download the native PowerPoint files for viewing on your computer (using Microsoft PowerPoint).

• How to Develop, Protect, and Market New Product Ideas.   This document explains how to create intellectual property, the costs of obtaining a patent, and how to develop and market a new invention.  A must-read for inventors and entrepreneurs.

• Lean Machine: A Case Study of the Evolution of a Design.   A review of the development of Lean Machine, the product that pioneered low-intertia exercise technology in the home-user market. 

• The Power of Design.  Visionary design alone can create new products, new appeals, and new markets.

• Product Design and Development:  The Generic Process for Developing New Products.  This online document describes in detail the organization and flow of activities in a new product development project.

• The Role of Appearance Models and Mockups: A Case Study of the ARRIS Design. ARRIS is an award-winning computerized medical imaging system developed by the Robert Q. Riley Enterprises, LLC. .  It is used as a centerpiece to illustrate the important role of appearance models and mockups in the product development process.

• Licensing and Insuring Homebuilt Vehicles.  This document explains the equipment requirements and procedures for licensing homebuilt cars, three wheelers, boats, and hovercraft.  It also provides tips on obtaining insurance.

• One-Off Construction Using Fiberglass Over Urethane Foam.   A system for making custom-designed fiberglass automobile bodies, boats, and many other products (without having to build a mold) is described in detail.  Explains step-by-step how it's done.  Extensively illustrated with photos of an automobile body at various stages of construction.

• Automobile Ride, Handling, and Suspension Design.  This document provides an overview of automobile suspension systems and the attributes that determine vehicle ride and handling.  It also includes a review of important factors in the design of low mass vehicles.

• Three-Wheelers Cars: The Primary Factors That Determine Handling and Rollover Characteristics: Three-wheel handling dynamics and the differences between single front wheel and single rear wheel platforms are explained.

• Electric and Hybrid Vehicles: The Benefits, Challenges, and Technologies.  An overview of EV emissions and energy savings, as well as the technologies and design practices of battery-electric and hybrid-electric cars.

• Transportation's Impact on Energy and the Environment:   This document takes an in-depth look at the world's energy and environmental problems.  It reviews possible alternative energy sources and discusses design options for cleaner and more energy efficient personal transportation vehicles.

• Alternative Fuels for Transportation: (available soon)