Design trade-offs for energy regeneration and control in vehicle suspensions

This paper investigates the fundamental trade-offs involved in designing energy-regenerative suspensions, in particular, focusing on efficiency of power extraction and its effect on vehicle dynamics and control. It is shown that typical regenerative devices making use of linear-to-rotational elements can be modelled as a parallel arrangement of an inerter and a dissipative admittance. Taking account of typical adjustable parameters of the generator, it is shown, for a given suspension damping coefficient, that the power efficiency ratio scales with inertance. For a typical passenger vehicle, it is shown that there is a feasible compromise, namely that good efficiency is achievable with an inertance value that is not detrimental to vehicle performance. A prototype is designed and tested with a resistive termination and experimental results show good agreement between ideal and experimental admittances. The possibility to use dynamic (rather than purely resistive) loads to improve vehicle control without limiting the energy recovery is discussed. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Implementation of trailer steering control on a multi-unit vehicle at high speeds

A high-speed path-following controller for long combination vehicles (LCVs) was designed and implemented on a test vehicle consisting of a rigid truck towing a dolly and a semitrailer. The vehicle was driven through a 3.5 m wide lane change maneuver at 80 km/h. The axles of the dolly and trailer were steered actively by electrically-controlled hydraulic actuators. Substantial performance benefits were recorded compared with the unsteered vehicle. For the best controller weightings, performance improvements relative to unsteered case were: lateral tracking error 75% reduction, rearward amplification (RA) of lateral acceleration 18% reduction, and RA of yaw rate 37% reduction. This represents a substantial improvement in stability margins. The system was found to work well in conjunction with the braking-based stability control system of the towing vehicle with no negative interaction effects being observed. In all cases, the stability control system and the steering system improved the yaw stability of the combination. © 2014 by ASME.

Innovation, the diesel engine and vehicle markets: Evidence from OECD engine patents

This paper uses a patent data set to identify factors fostering innovation of diesel engines between 1974 and 2010 in the OECD region. The propensity of engine producers to innovate grew by 1.9 standard deviations after the expansion of the car market, by 0.7 standard deviations following a shift in the EU fuel economy standard, and by 0.23 standard deviations. The propensity to develop emissions control techniques was positively influenced by pollution control laws introduced in Japan, in the US, and in the EU, but not with the expansion of the car market. Furthermore, a decline in loan rates stimulated the propensity to develop emissions control techniques, which were simultaneously crowded out by increases in publicly-funded transport research and development. Innovation activities in engine efficiency are explained by market size, loan rates and by (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) diesel prices, inclusive of taxes. Price effects on innovation, outweigh that of the US corporate average fuel economy standards. Innovation is also positively influenced by past transport research and development. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Counterions in polyelectrolyte multilayers: A vehicle for introducing functionalities

Counterions present at the surface of polyelectrolyte multilayers were utilized for the introduction of charged species into the multilayer via ion exchange. A typical polyelectrolyte multilayer film with Na+ counterions in the outermost layer was immersed in an AgNO3 aqueous solution and the rapid ion-exchange process was complete within 1 min. The silver ions thus introduced were then reduced in situ and silver nanoparticles were produced at the surface of the multilayer assembly. This example demonstrates that the counterions naturally occurring in every polyelectrolyte multilayer film can be a convenient vehicle for the introduction of various functionalities to the film.

基于立体视觉的移动机器人楼梯识别

本文提出了一种结构化环境下,基于立体视觉的机器人楼梯识别算法,并将算法该应到自主移动机器人上。该算法首先利用二维图像分析的方法搜索楼梯的疑似区域;进而利用立体视觉对各个疑似区域进行精确三维重建,结合三维信息重构楼梯平面,排除虚假疑似楼梯区域;最后判定机器人和楼梯的相对位姿关系,引导机器人爬楼梯。最终我们将该算法应用到了自主移动机器人上,通过在各种光照条件下的实验,进一步验证了该算法的准确性和快速性。

非完整自主车基于圆轨迹的道路避障

本文就四轮非完整自主车提出了一种基于圆轨迹的道路避障策略。先将道路上的障碍按照障碍距离自主车的远近划分层次,使一个层次的障碍能在自主车视场中全部出现。然后给出基于圆轨迹的避障算法,即自主车沿由自主车出发位姿和子目标点确定的圆弧轨迹走行。在此之前推导四轮非完整车的运动模型为提出避障策略的基础准备。尽量减小自主车在走行过程中运动状态的改变,基于圆轨迹避障策略能够很好地满足这一要求。最后引入代价函数,给出对于此方法的评价,体现了本方法的优越性。

小型自治水下机器人运动控制系统研究

以主推加舵控制的小型自治水下机器人为研究对象,建立了水下机器人的数学模型并进行了分析。根据机器人结构的特点,对模型进行了必要的简化。设计了机器人的运动控制系统。通过湖试验正控制器的性能。

一种欠驱动AUV的三维实时避碰方法

针对以测距声纳为避碰传感器的一类欠驱动型AUV，提出了一种水平面和垂直面相结合的三维实时避碰方法。根据测距声纳和欠驱动AUV 的特殊性，首先从运动规划和路径规划2 个层次提出了AUV 混合型实时避碰结构，并分别设计了基于事件反馈监控的避碰自动机和基于免疫遗传的局部路径规划算法。多种典型障碍场景的半物理仿真实验表明，论文所提方法能够实现AUV 安全、稳定的三维避碰过程。

自主/遥控水下机器人水面/水下通信协议设计与实现

为了解决自主/遥控水下机器人（ARV）水面控制台与水下载体之间的通信问题，设计并实现了一种基于分层结构的水面/水下通信协议。该协议根据ARV 通信特殊需求，分为应用层，数据链路层与物理层，各层之间通过事件路由的方式进行调用，层内协议规则通过有限状态机来描述，整个协议结构清晰。ARV 实验结果证明这一通信协议具有传输速率快，可靠性高等优点。

基于关节限位的自治水下机器人机械手系统运动规划研究

对自治水下机器人搭载的四功能水下电动机械手进行了简要描述。考虑到自治水下机器人机械手系统的运动学冗余,将关节限位算法用于系统逆运动学求解,避免载体大幅度姿态变化。利用Matlab仿真表明该算法在解决系统冗余的同时有效的限制了关节位移。

北极冰下自主/遥控机器人控制系统设计

针对北极冰下海洋参数监测的使命要求,对水下机器人控制系统进行了相关研究,将PC104总线与CAN总线应用到自主/遥控水下机器人中,实现了一种分布式与集中式相结合的水下机器人控制系统体系结构。从硬件和软件两个方面描述北极自主/遥控水下机器人控制系统的实施方案。

自适应模糊PID控制在AUV控制中的应用

自治潜水器(AUV,Autonomous Underwater Vehicle)是非线性、强耦合、大惯性的多输入多输出系统,又由于受到海流、传感器、执行机构等不确定性的影响,对AUV控制器的鲁棒性能提出了更高的要求。本文针对我国正在研制开发的长航程自治潜水器的特性及其对航行控制的要求,将PID控制与模糊控制的简便性、灵活性以及鲁棒性结合起来,为AUV设计了可在线修改PID参数的自适应模糊PID控制器,仿真结果证明了该种控制方法不但提高了AUV系统的动态特性,而且可在参数摄动和外界扰动时获得较好的控制性能。

AUV闭环系统可辨识性分析及算法实现

针对水下机器人闭环系统辨识问题,应用闭环系统辨识理论,本文给出了水下机器人闭环系统可辨识的充分条件。运用增广的Kalman滤波算法对某水下机器人进行闭环辨识,获得了该系统模型。验证了所提出充分条件的正确性及算法的可行性。