Abstract
This paper presents a new approach for a reverse assistant for vehicle combinations, such as passenger car-trailer systems up to truck-semitrailer or truck-trailer combinations. The realisation of the system is based on the application of a steer-by-wire actuator or at least on an electrical steering superposition device. While existing approaches apply a pure kinematical control strategy, here a dynamic description of the stabilisation problem is introduced. In particular, the effectiveness of such a control system with respect to general driving situations, such as inclined roads of uneven road surfaces require a dynamic enhancement of the given task.
The idea behind this type of driver assistance system is to relieve the driver from the demanding stabilisation task while reversing the vehicle combination. Particularly the well known risk of turning in of the trailer or semi-trailer respectively can be avoided. Thus, the driver is able to perform reverse manoeuvres with the vehicle combination similarly to those with a single vehicle.
The basic approach of the model-based controller design is described. In order to show the effectiveness of the introduced system, simulation results of selected driving manoeuvres are presented and discussed. Before a possible installation of the system into a real vehicle-trailer combination, an intermediate step by means of a downscaled, electrically driven truck-trailer combination is currently in preparation.
Keywords:Driving assistance system, x-by-wire, truck with trailer, automatic steering, control system