Advanced Terminal Sliding Mode Control Approach to Integrated Steer-by-Wire and Differential Braking of Ground Vehicles

Abstract

Advances in electronic technology have had a profound impact on the design and development of modern vehicle systems. These advances have provided the basis for a research into active vehicle control paradigm with the aim of improving vehicle safety and its dynamic performance. The vehicle stability control (VSC) concept has recently been born in response to such a research challenge. Its refinement is looking for an algorithm able of integrating vehicle dynamics control (IVDC) by way of coordinating the active front steering (AFS) system and direct yaw-moment control (DYC) system. Thus, when the vehicle is in the normal driving situation, the AFS system is involved for handling enhancement; however, as the vehicle reaches the handling limits, both the AFS and DYC systems are integrated to ensure the vehicle stability. Recent research into VSC has indicated that the IVDC concept may be able to enhance the handling and stability of ground vehicle by controlling the main two control objectives, yaw rate and body sideslip angle, effectively in severe cornering manoeuvres and the steady-state condition, and several control strategies have been investigated to design an IVDC system. However, most of these control methods have not been focused on improving the transient response for vehicle yaw rate and sideslip angle tracking controllers in the presence of vehicle dynamics uncertainties and external disturbance. Therefore, further improvement of the transient response for the tracking controllers is still the most needed research topics.