Abstract:
The aim is to investigate the improvements in vehicle safety that can be achieved by limiting the vehicle speed based on GPS path
information. The control strategy is aimed at reducing vehicle speed before a potentially dangerous situation is reached, in contrast
with widely used stability control systems that only react once loss of control by the driver is imminent. An MSC.ADAMS/View
simulation model of an off-road test vehicle was developed and validated experimentally. A longitudinal speed control system was
developed by generating a reference speed based on the path information. This reference speed was formulated by taking into
account the vehicle’s limits due to lateral acceleration, combined lateral and longitudinal acceleration and the vehicle’s performance
capabilities. The model was used to evaluate the performance of the control system on various tracks. The control system was implemented
on the test vehicle and the performance was evaluated by conducting field tests. Results of the field tests indicated that the
control system limited the acceleration vector of the vehicle’s centre of gravity to prescribed limits, as predicted by the simulations,
thereby decreasing the possibility of accidents caused by rollover or loss of directional control due to entering curves at inappropriately
high speeds.
