Chassis Global Dynamics Optimization for Automated Vehicles: A Multiactuator Integrated Control Method

Vehicle chassis coordinated control always has been an appealing topic in academia and industry because of the increasing number of chassis electronic actuators with the rapid development of automated vehicles. The optimization of multiple performance targets with multiactuators is intractable, which involves trajectory tracking and handling stability. Additionally, the optimization of tire friction usage remains a knotty problem. Therefore, this article develops a global chassis multiactuator integrated control framework, named by the chassis domain controller (CDC), to realize chassis global dynamics optimization for automated vehicles. Aiming at realizing more efficient, reliable, and flexible mobility, this framework defines each individual wheel to be fully adjustable and controllable to overcome the individual actuation limitation of traditional chassis structures. Global chassis dynamic modeling is formulated based on the analysis of distributed and controllable tire modules and vehicle dynamics motions. A game-theoretical control scheme is proposed to formulate chassis multiactuator integrated control, and the chassis global dynamics can be optimized by guaranteeing a Nash equilibrium for this game. Various experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control method, and it suggests the CDC merits further studies to enhance the dynamics performance of automated vehicles in full situations.