Integrated Chassis Control
The development of Integrated Chassis Control (ICC) systems is a
major area of current interest in automotive research. Roughly
speaking, research on this topic has been motivated by the desire
for increased vehicle safety, increased comfort, and better performance by taking
into account and utilising the interactions that exists between the different
subsystems of the vehicle. While research on this topic has
progressed along several lines of inquiry, it appears to be the case that
almost no effort has been devoted toward the construction of
vehicle emulators that are based on ICC concepts. For example,
vehicles equipped with active systems (4-wheel-steering,
active suspension, active brakes, etc.) may, in principle, be
constructed to emulate any reasonable given set of vehicle
dynamics. Arguments for the design of such vehicle emulators are
compelling. In particular, vehicle designers should in principle
be able to use vehicle emulators to test prototypes before their
construction and at a lower expense than by using vehicle
simulators and actual prototype vehicles.
The objective of our research is to develop an ICC with
the capacity to emulate a vehicle with a given set of vertical and
lateral dynamics using the vehicle suspension and steering systems
(and taking into account the interaction between these systems). As a first step in this direction we have reviewed work that has been carried out in ICC; with particular emphasis on work that integrates both suspension and steering subsystems. Besides, a review of suspension and steering control systems and their interactions was realized. A 4-wheel-steering controller developed at the Hamilton Institute was developed and has been successfully implemented in two test vehicles from DaimlerChrysler. Finally, an analysis of the emulation envelope of a vehicle with actuator contraints has been presented.
Currently, a vertical dynamics emulator is being developed in parallel with the modelling of an hydropneumatic suspension.
For more information contact: Carlos Villegas
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Vehicle Active Safety
Integrated Chassis Control
Control Design
Vehicle State Observation
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