New level of vehicle comfort and vehicle stability via utilisation of the suspensions anti-dive and anti-squat geometry

In this article a novel vehicle dynamics control concept is designed for a vehicle equipped with wheel individual electric traction machines, electronically controlled brakes and semi-active suspensions. The suspension's cross-couplings between traction forces and vertical forces via anti-dive and anti-squat geometry is utilised in the control concept to improve driving comfort and driving stability. The control concept is divided into one main and two cascaded branches. The main controller consists of a multivariable vehicle dynamics controller and a control allocation scheme to improve the vehicle's driving comfort. The cascaded feedback loops maintain the vehicle's stability according to wheel slip and vehicle sideslip. The performance of the combined vehicle dynamics controller is compared to a standard approach in simulation. It can be stated that the controller piloting semi-active suspensions together with brake and traction devices enables a superior performance regarding comfort and stability.     

The perspectives of research for enhancing active safety based on advanced control technology

This paper considers the scope and the methodologies for enhancing active safety of road vehicles by sensing and control technologies. The first part of this paper introduces statistical data of traffic accidents in Japan, and describes the development of the drive recorder for accident/incident survey and analysis. Based on vehicle dynamics data, the algorithm of the drive recorder for capturing near-miss incident data is introduced. The second part of this paper reviews control problems of vehicle dynamics on micro-scale electric vehicles for enhancing vehicle dynamics and driving assistance function. In particular, the direct yaw moment control using in-wheel-motors and the active front steering control algorithm are described. The third part of the paper introduces the advanced driver assistance system adapted to driver characteristics and traffic situations. This part mainly describes an adaptive system, which adjusts the assisting manoeuvre depending on individual driver behaviour and situation, and some experimental investigations using the active interface vehicle and driving simulator. Finally, some perspectives and new challenges for future research on vehicle control technology are mentioned.     

Dynamic stability of forklift trucks in cornering situations: parametrical analysis using a driving simulator

This paper describes the examination of the vehicle dynamics and stability of four-wheeled forklift trucks (FLTs) in cornering situations. Cornering at excessive speed is one major reason for fatal accidents with forklifts caused by lateral tipover. In order to increase the lateral stability of this kind of working machinery, the influence of certain important design properties has been studied using an appropriate vehicle simulation model and a driving simulator. The simulation model is based on a multi-body system approach and includes submodels for the propulsion system and the tyres. The driving behaviour of the operator has not been modelled. Instead, a driving simulator has been built up and a real human driver was employed for ensuring adequate and realistic model input. As there have not been any suitable standardised test manoeuvres available for FLTs, a new driving test has been developed to assess the lateral stability. This test resembles the well-known J turn/Fishhook turn, but includes a more dynamic counter-steering action. Furthermore, the dimensions of the test track are defined. Therefore, the test is better adapted to the driving dynamics of forklifts and reflects the real driver behaviour more closely. Finally, a parametrical study has been performed, examining the influence of certain important technical properties of the truck such as the maximum speed, the position of centre of gravity, rear axle design features and tyre properties. The results of this study may lead to a better understanding of the vehicle dynamics of forklifts and facilitate goal-oriented design improvements.     

Steering disturbance rejection using a physics-based neuromusculoskeletal driver model

The aim of this work is to develop a comprehensive yet practical driver model to be used in studying driver–vehicle interactions. Drivers interact with their vehicle and the road through the steering wheel. This interaction forms a closed-loop coupled human–machine system, which influences the driver's steering feel and control performance. A hierarchical approach is proposed here to capture the complexity of the driver's neuromuscular dynamics and the central nervous system in the coordination of the driver's upper extremity activities, especially in the presence of external disturbance. The proposed motor control framework has three layers: the first (or the path planning) plans a desired vehicle trajectory and the required steering angles to perform the desired trajectory; the second (or the musculoskeletal controller) actuates the musculoskeletal arm to rotate the steering wheel accordingly; and the final layer ensures the precision control and disturbance rejection of the motor control units. The physics-based driver model presented here can also provide insights into vehicle control in relaxed and tensed driving conditions, which are simulated by adjusting the driver model parameters such as cognition delay and muscle co-contraction dynamics.     

Modeling Human Vehicle Driving by Model Predictive Online Optimization

A driver model is designed which relates the driver's action to his perception, driving experience, and preferences over a wide range of possible traffic situations. The basic idea behind the work is that the human uses his sensory perception and his expert knowledge to predict the vehicle's future behavior for the next few seconds (prediction model). At a certain sampling rate the vehicle's future motion is optimized using this prediction model, in order to meet certain objectives. The human tries to follow this optimal behavior using a compensatory controller. Based on this hypothesis, human vehicle driving is modeled by a hierarchical controller. A repetitive nonlinear optimization is employed to plan the vehicle's future motion (trajectory planning task), using an SQP algorithm. This is combined with a PID tracking control to minimize its deviations. The trajectory planning scheme is experimentally verified for undisturbed driving situations employing various objectives, namely ride comfort, lane keeping, and minimized speed variation. The driver model is then applied to study path planning during curve negotiation under various preferences. A highly dynamic avoidance maneuver (standardized ISO double lane change) is then simulated to investigate the overall stability of the closed loop vehicle/driver system.     

匝道合流交通场景下自动驾驶汽车安全性测试评价方法

矿用无人运输车辆作业环境恶劣,存在大曲率弯道、坡道等非结构化道路明显特征,对无人化运输控制要求高。为改善PID等传统控制算法适应性问题,提高无人驾驶轨迹跟踪的车辆横纵向控制精度,提出一种纯跟踪与PID结合的多点预瞄横向控制、考虑模糊控制表参数拟合的纵向控制方法,减少控制参数的同时提高算法效果。根据传统控制算法设计基础控制器,结合基础算法优势进行横向与纵向控制算法设计,通过硬件在环仿真和实车测试验证算法的性能。试验结果表明,横向控制算法与斯坦利算法相比,车辆路径跟踪精度有明显改善,纵向控制方面,速度跟随误差<1 km/h,保证了车辆驾驶时的平稳性与舒适性。     

基于动态门限值的分布式驱动电动汽车驱动力矩控制研究

为改善分布式驱动电动汽车高速行驶稳定性，避免频繁驱动控制操作对汽车行驶安全性的影响，提出了一种适应不同驾驶工况的参数动态门限值算法，设计了汽车附加横摆力矩滑模控制策略和驱动力矩二次规划优化分配控制策略，并进行了角阶跃输入工况和双正弦输入工况的仿真分析。结果表明，所设计的控制策略能有效控制汽车的质心侧偏角与横摆角速度，在保证汽车行驶稳定性的前提下，使质心侧偏角与理想值偏差减小了3.6%以上，轮胎附着利用率减少19.5%以上，有效地降低了轮胎附着利用率，提高了汽车的行驶安全性。     

IdleStop and Go: a way to improve fuel economy

This paper proposes a mechanical solution to save fuel by shutting down an internal combustion engine whenever it is unnecessary for propulsion, e.g., when a vehicle is waiting for traffic lights. The engine and vehicle are restarted using the energy that is stored in a flywheel. Two additional clutches are needed to enable appropriate power flow from the flywheel to the engine and vehicle. This complicates the powertrain dynamics in that the number of degrees of freedom changes due to clutch operations. Therefore, a hybrid control strategy, which is treated as a top-level controller, is introduced to deal with this finite-state mechanical system. At the lower level, the engine and clutches are controlled in a coordinated manner such that the vehicle is launched according to the driver's demands. Using a comprehensive powertrain simulation package, the proposed controller is evaluated numerically.     

On model-based longitudinal feed-forward motion control for low velocities on known road profiles

ABSTRACT

So far, longitudinal motion control has focused on situations like highway driving, where disturbances of the road profile can be neglected. In this paper, we show how the Two Point Tire Model can be used to derive a novel feed-forward control law for a vehicle's longitudinal motion that considers the effects of the road profile and can complement existing control approaches. For this purpose, we recapitulate the basic model assumptions and equations and briefly discuss how it can be used on arbitrary road profiles. Two approaches for implementation in a real vehicle are presented. Comparisons of these approaches in simulation and to a human driver of an experimental vehicle show that the controller can deal with stepped obstacles of up to 14?cm in height. However, the control performance is essentially limited by the actuator delay and human drivers outperform the controller due to their ability of sensing subtle vehicle motions. The results indicate that the control performance can be further improved by using a preview on the necessary drive torque, which can be provided by the solution that we propose.     

Human driving data-based design of a vehicle adaptive cruise control algorithm

This paper presents a vehicle adaptive cruise control algorithm design with human factors considerations. Adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems should be acceptable to drivers. In order to be acceptable to drivers, the ACC systems need to be designed based on the analysis of human driver driving behaviour. Manual driving characteristics are investigated using real-world driving test data. The goal of the control algorithm is to achieve naturalistic behaviour of the controlled vehicle that would feel natural to the human driver in normal driving situations and to achieve safe vehicle behaviour in severe braking situations in which large decelerations are necessary. A non-dimensional warning index and inverse time-to-collision are used to evaluate driving situations. A confusion matrix method based on natural driving data sets was used to tune control parameters in the proposed ACC system. Using a simulation and a validated vehicle simulator, vehicle following characteristics of the controlled vehicle are compared with real-world manual driving radar sensor data. It is shown that the proposed control strategy can provide with natural following performance similar to human manual driving in both high speed driving and low speed stop-and-go situations and can prevent the vehicle-to-vehicle distance from dropping to an unsafe level in a variety of driving conditions.     

基于能量流方法的纯电动汽车低温续驶里程提升研究

以某带热泵系统的微小型纯电动乘用车为对象,开展低温 CLTC-P循环工况下的续驶里程测试,通过综合研究 测试数据并分解整车能量流,探讨提升续驶里程的潜在方向。基于AMESim平台建立包含热管理系统的整车动力经济性 模型,经校准后仿真对比不同优化方案,制定组合优化方案。试验验证结果显示,组合优化方案可将低温续驶里程提升 12.6%,其中热管理系统优化方案的贡献显著优于整车阻力优化方案和控制策略优化方案。为提升纯电动乘用车低温环 境下的续驶里程提供参考思路和方法。     

Design of an Active Unilateral Brake Control System for Five-Axle Tractor-Semitrailer Based on Sensitivity Analysis

SUMMARY

This paper presents the results of a parametric sensitivity analysis of a five-axle tractor-semitrailer vehicle combination using 3-DOF linear yaw/plane model. The first order logarithmic sensitivity functions are derived with respect to several vehicle design parameters. For stabilization of the vehicle's directional behaviour a fairly new control concept called “Active Unilateral Braking Control (AUBC)” acting on the tractor rear wheel's in order to produce a stabilizing yaw torque is investigated. The AUBC system improves not only the directional stability, but also affects the roll dynamics of the vehicle. The sensitivity of the controlled vehicle system with linear quadratic controller (LQR) is also examined, a robust controller design procedure is proposed as a result of the sensitivity analysis. The robustness of this controller in the presence of both internal (including parametric uncertainties, non-linear dynamics) and external disturbances (such as road irregularities and side wind) allows its implementation with confidence with a non-linear vehicle model. The applicability of this control system to a non-linear vehicle model is tested using a 34 DOF, non-linear vehicle model of the tractor-semitrailer combination.     

A Novel Approach to Vehicle Dynamics using the Theory of a Cosserat Point and its Application to Collision Analyses of Platooning Vehicles

A fully three-dimensional, computationally inexpensive vehicular model is presented. In contrast to traditional rigid body models, the vehicle's sprung mass is modeled as a (nonlinearly) deformable body. The formulation of the equations of motion is based on a continuum theory known as the theory of a Cosserat point. These equations largely preserve the relative simplicity of rigid body dynamics but incorporate deformable features. The ease of computer implementation permits the simultaneous simulation of vehicle and collision dynamics of multiple vehicles and highway objects. In this paper, the theory of a Cosserat point is summarized and its general application to vehicle and collision dynamics is illustrated. A three-dimensional collision algorithm is discussed with emphasis on small closing velocities (negligible residual crush, elastic rebound). The novel model is compared to standard procedures.     

Effects of the guideway's vibrational characteristics on the dynamics of a Maglev vehicle

The levitation control system in an electromagnetically levitated vehicle controls the voltage in its winding to maintain the air gap, which is the clearance between the electromagnet and the guideway, within an allowable range of variation, while strongly interacting with the flexible guideway. Thus, the vibrational characteristics of the guideway play an important role in the dynamics of Maglev (magnetically levitated) vehicles that utilise an active electromagnetic suspension system. In this study, the effects of the guideway's vibrational characteristics, such as natural frequency and damping, on the dynamics of the Maglev vehicle UTM-02 are numerically and experimentally analysed. From these analyses, the coupled equations of motion of the simplified vehicle–guideway model with three degrees of freedom are derived. Eigenvalues are calculated and frequency response analysis is also performed, in order to obtain a clear understanding of the dynamic characteristics resulting from the guideway's vibrational characteristics. To verify the numerical results, air gap tests of the urban Maglev vehicle UTM-02 are also carried out. These results lead us to recommend that the natural frequency of the guideway be decreased by increasing mass density rather than by decreasing rigidity, and that its damping ratio be increased in the Maglev vehicle UTM-02 employing a five-state feedback control law as a levitation control law.     

Driving segment simulation for determination of the most effective driving features for HEV intelligent control

This paper presents a methodological approach for determination of the most effective driving features for hybrid electric vehicle intelligent control, using the driving segment simulation. In this approach, driving data gathering is first performed in real traffic conditions using Advanced Vehicle Locator systems. The vehicle's speed time series are then divided into small segments. Subsequently, 19 driving features are defined for each driving segment, and the influence of the driving features on the vehicle's fuel consumption (FC) and exhaust emissions is investigated, using driving the driving segment simulation. The simulation approach is also verified by experimental test. Finally, the driving features are ranked by a new approach based on the definition of an effectiveness index and a correlation analysis. The results demonstrate that the velocity-dependent driving features such as ‘energy’, ‘mean of velocity’, ‘displacement’ and ‘maximum velocity’ are more effective on vehicle's FC and exhaust emissions. However, because of high dependency between these features, this study suggests independent driving features among the most effective driving features.     

Role of steering wheel feedback on driver performance: driving simulator and modeling analysis

When driving in curves, how do drivers use the force appearing on the steering wheel? As it carries information related to lateral acceleration, this force could be necessary for drivers to tune their internal model of vehicle dynamics; alternatively, being opposed to the drivers' efforts, it could just help them stabilize the steering wheel position. To assess these two hypotheses, we designed an experiment on a motion-based driving simulator. The steering characteristics of the vehicle were modified in the course of driving, unknown to drivers. Results obtained with standard drivers showed a surprisingly wide range of adaptation, except for exaggerated modifications of the steering force feedback. A two-level driver model, combining a preview of vehicle dynamics and a neuromuscular steering control, reproduces these experimental results qualitatively and indicates that adaptation occurs at the haptic level rather than in the internal model of vehicle dynamics. This effect is related to other theories on the manual control of dynamics systems, wherein force feedback characteristics are abstracted at the position control level. This research also illustrates the use of driving simulation for the study of driver behavior and future intelligent steering assistance systems.     

Derivation and validation of nonlinear governing equations for an analysis of vehicle handling

Nonlinear governing equations used to analyze the handling of a ground vehicle are derived from the Lagrange equations of motion. The derived equations are coded using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) embedded in Microsoft’s Excel Software and simulated in the time domain using the 4th-order Runge-Kutta method. A total of six degrees of freedom are used in the equations; three of these are the directional translation, lateral translation, and yaw of a platform (unsprung) on the base of an inertial ground coordinate, and the other three are the roll, pitch, and yaw of a body (sprung) by a platform-fixed coordinate. Four driving torques and four wheel angles of all tires are used as input control parameters. A simplified Calspan tire model is adopted for the generalized forces of the equations. This is a combined model that can be used to obtain tractional (or braking) and side forces using the inputs of the directional and side-slip ratios and the vertical force. The VBA code realized in this study is validated by comparisons with trimmed equilibrium results and the test data cited in published papers. The major characteristics of this study are: (1) the coordinate systems of the equations are mixed with the inertial frame and the platform-fixed frame, and, as a result, almost all types of driving conditions with long mileages can be simulated; (2) vertical movement is eliminated due the focus on the handling analysis; (3) the body-yaw degree of freedom is separated from the platform-yaw degree of freedom; and (4) the programming is performed by VBA, which is rarely used in the vehicle dynamics field.     

Validation of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a sample of professional drivers in Iran

Aggressive driving has emerged as one of the most studied behaviors in the traffic safety field, due to its association with the odds of motor vehicle crashes and especially fatal crashes. Previous research has investigated the situations which provoke anger while driving, as well as the emotional (anger) and behavioral (aggression) aspects of aggressive driving. However, surprisingly the cognitive aspects of aggressive driving have largely been neglected. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the short-forms of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) and the Driving Anger Expression Inventory (DAX) in a sample of professional drivers. Furthermore, the study aimed to investigate the mediation effects of aggressive thoughts, as the cognitive aspect of aggressive driving, on the relationship between traffic congestion and driving aggression. To this end, 613 public transport bus drivers completed the DATQ and DAX and were also asked to report the level of traffic congestion they normally faced in their daily driving, using six pictures. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the four factor DAX and the five factor DATQ, which largely replicated the original factors. The four forms of maladaptive thoughts on the road were positively associated with aggressive driving, while the positive factor (coping self-instruction) was negatively associated with aggressive driving and traffic violations. Moreover, the results indicated that traffic congestion does not contribute directly to anger expression on the road, but rather through aggressive thoughts. This study suggests that cognitive interventions may help to eliminate aggressive driving and its adverse outcomes on traffic safety.     

Vehicle Modelling Aspects for an Embedded Real-Time Application

SUMMARY

In this paper we present results obtained for a driving advice system developed, within the framework of the Prometheus program. The main results concern the vehicle modelling, which is required for the evaluation of the vehicle's dynamic behaviour in real-time, and the safety parameters considered and developed in order to evaluate the vehicle's safety state. The demonstrator is briefly presented, together with the results.     

Slope Shift Strategy for Automatic Transmission Vehicles Based on the Road Gradient

Motivated by the development of high-precision digital maps for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) in recent years, this study provides a new approach to solve the problems of the conventional automatic transmission vehicle travelling on sloping roads. Based on vehicle dynamics, shift problems on hilly roads are analyzed. A novel intelligent shift strategy is proposed, which consists of a dynamic shift schedule for the uphill, a safety shift schedule for the downhill, and a comprehensive economical shift schedule for the gentle slopes. A set of driver-in-loop co-simulation tests was conducted in a driving simulator that is equipped with a MATLAB/Simulink dynamics simulation platform. The test results verified the effectiveness of the new intelligent shift strategy. With the road information provided by a high-precision digital map, busy shifting can be eliminated, and improved dynamic performance can be achieved for a vehicle travelling on the uphill roads; undesired upshift can be prevented, and engine traction resistance can be used to relieve the load of braking system when a vehicle travelling on the downhill roads; also, fuel consumption can be reduced for a vehicle travelling on a gently sloped road. Consequently, this novel intelligent shift strategy offers a reliable and effective solution for improving a vehicle’s driving performance on a hilly road.