MER offers a number of highly successful, innovative and informative Presentations and Tutorials in MicroSoft PowerPoint © format. The individual Tutorials are targeted to the two typical audiences interested in using MER services: (1) Clients interested in accident reconstruction and/or vehicle dynamics and (2) Clients interested in performance and racing. A short description of the currently-available Presentations and Tutorials is given below. Prices for the CD-ROM’s are as follows (all prices are in $US and include shipping to U.S. addresses; overseas shipping at actual cost):

AERODYNAMIC FUNDAMENTALS: Discusses lift, drag, aerodynamic coefficients, power requirements and fundamental principles of aerodynamics. Examples are given of various vehicle types and calculations. CFD and wind tunnel testing are outlined and briefly discussed, and consequences of aerodynamic mistakes are made clear. A reference list of publications is included. Target audience: race team engineers and personnel.

AUTOMOBILE HANDLING BEHAVIOR: Discusses the concept of understeer/oversteer/neutral steer and behavior of vehicles possessing each characteristic. Consequences of various types of suspension and tire modifications are outlined, and tuning for maximum cornering performance is outlined. Use of data analysis and acquisition is stressed in the second half of the Tutorial. A reference list of publications is included. Target audience: attorneys, insurance Clients, race team engineers and personnel, car hobbyists.

ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION FOR NON-ENGINEERS: Discusses fundamental concepts of reconstruction, momentum, energy, skid and yaw analyses. Passenger car and motorcycle tire behavior, human control and performance limitations and driver behavior, perception/reaction time and other accident variables are outlined. Use of simulations and animations, together with their advantages and drawbacks, is discusses: A reference list of publications is included. Target audience: attorneys and insurance Clients.

BRAKE AND SKID ANALYSIS: Begins where the Accident Reconstruction for Non-Engineers CD-ROM stops, and discusses specific calculations for speed from braking skids, issues of brake balance, split-mu or uneven surfaces, effects of roadway crown, hydroplaning and worn-tire behavior, off-road stopping and other similar issues. A reference list of publications is included. Target audience: attorneys, insurance Clients, accident reconstructionists.

YAW AND CORNERING ANALYSIS: Begins where the Accident Reconstruction for Non-Engineers CD-ROM stops, and discusses calculation of speed from cornering yaw marks, inaccuracies in measurement of yaw marks, behavior of low- and high-aspect-ratio vehicles, combined cornering and braking, and transient vs. steady state cornering and roadway markings. A reference list of publications is included. Target audience: attorneys, insurance Clients, accident reconstructionists.

CRUSH DAMAGE ANALYSIS: Begins where the Accident Reconstruction for Non-Engineers CD-ROM stops, and discusses measurement of crush damage, stiffness coefficients, common errors in measurement of crush, standardized protocols, photography and other documentation issues, underride/override accidents and typical mistakes made in crush measurement. A reference list of publications is included. Target audience: attorneys, insurance Clients, accident reconstructionists.

TIRE FAILURE ANALYSIS: Begins where the Accident Reconstruction for Non-Engineers CD-ROM stops, and discusses modes of tire failure, identification and categorization of tire evidence, braking and cornering behavior in the presence of a flat tire and flat tire skid mark characteristics. A reference list of publications is included. Target audience: attorneys, insurance Clients, accident reconstructionists.