Dynamic Stability of Vehicle Systems via Poincaré Maps

Computer simulations of a driven vehicle are performed to assess and quantify the automobile stability. The analytical methodology is based on PoincarS maps and Floquet theory, which are commonly used to investigate the stability of periodic systems. The approach accommodates the study of the complex dynamics of vehicle locomotion under various configurations of the system. The proposed method does not require any knowledge regarding the inner structure of the vehicle model. Kinematic data is simply collected at the specific instants to conduct the analysis. It is found that this method has the potential for real time warning and control of vehicle instabilities.