Steering of heavy vehicles with active safety

Important results from the project

The project aimed to explore the truck unique opportunities for active steering to improve traffic safety. By means of active steering, it is possible to influence what the driver feels in the steering wheel and in some cases even the ability to change the driver´s steering angle. Some truck specific road safety problems such as rollover accidents, oversteering winter tires or crosswind sensitivity can be influenced by active steering, which has been the purpose of the research project.

Expected long term effects

The project chose to explore rollover stability and oversteer with winter tires. To improve rollover stability an algorithm was developed that affects the steering torque when approaching the vehicle´s rollover threshold. The test showed that the system affected the driver´s behavior and that they generally reduce their speed with proper calibration. The other feature that was developed was artificial understeer for winter tyres. The function successfully counteracts oversteer tendencies but the way drivers experience this could not be tested in a test car for practical reasons.

Approach and implementation

Functionality was developed theoretically first with simulation models and lifted later into a physical prototype for active steering, either angle overlay or torque overlay. Using a physical prototype, it is possible to evaluate driver performance and driver review of the new features. The prototype of the angle overlay was not completed before the end of the project for various practical reasons.