Active steering control based on preview theory for articulated heavy vehicles.

Area of Science:

• Control Engineering
• Robotics
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Articulated heavy vehicles (AHVs) face challenges in high-speed lateral stability and low-speed path following.
• Existing control strategies often lack adaptability to varying road information clarity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an active steering control system for AHVs.
• To improve both high-speed lateral stability and low-speed path tracking capabilities of AHVs.

Main Methods:

• A four-degree-of-freedom (4-DOF) single track dynamic model of the AHV was established.
• A novel focus preview controller based on fractional calculus was designed for the tractor's steering.
• Active steering controllers, including Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) and a single-point preview controller, were proposed for the trailer.

Main Results:

• The focus preview controller demonstrated superior high-speed maneuvering stability and low-speed path tracking for the tractor.
• Adjusting the fractional order of the focus preview controller allows for performance tuning.
• AHVs utilizing a single-point preview controller for the trailer showed better performance than those with LQR control.

Conclusions:

• The proposed focus preview controller offers significant improvements in AHV control.
• Fractional calculus-based control provides a promising approach for enhancing AHV dynamics.
• The choice of trailer control strategy (single-point preview vs. LQR) impacts overall AHV performance.