Mobile robots are expected to traverse on unstructured terrain, especially uneven terrain, or to climb obstacles or slopes. This paper analyzes one such passively–actively transformable mobile robot that is principally aimed at the above issue. A passive locomotion traverses on a rough and flat terrain; an active reconfiguration with an active suspension. This paper investigates the lateral stability of this mobile robot when it reconfigures itself to adjust its roll angle with the active suspension. The principles and configurations of the robot and its active suspension are presented. To analyze the effects of the suspensions’ inputs on robot stability, a mathematic model of the robot on side slopes is presented. Based on the evaluation method of the stability pyramid theory, an analytical expression representing the relationship between the input of the active suspension (linear actuator length) and stability evaluation index on transverse slopes is obtained. The results show that there is an increase in both the lateral stability and minimum lateral tip-over angle under different ground clearances when adjusting the active inputs. Furthermore, the models presented here provide theoretical references and optimization directions for the design and control of mobile robots with adjustable suspensions.

In this paper, we examine the effect of parasitic delays and lags on the stability of a string of vehicles equipped with adaptive cruise control (ACC) system which is employed a constant time headway (CTH) policy. The control law of the ACC system is based on a simpler model of the vehicle that does not ignore the parasitic delays and lags. The main result of this paper is that string stability can be guaranteed if the constant time headway h, is at least twice the sum of the parasitic delays Delta, and the parasitic lags tau, that is, h > 2 (Delta+tau). This result extends and generalizes the earlier results of Darbha by considering parasitic delays and lags and provides a practical direction for ACC system design and implementation from the viewpoint of robustness to parasitic delays and lags.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of key factors on the powertrain loading dynamic characteristics and fatigue damage. First, the engine and the transmission output shaft torque of a multi-axle vehicle powertrain system were measured by proving grounds (PG) testing and analyzed with a conclusion that the powertrain loading changes were mainly related to three key factors: the mean engine torque, the harmonic engine torque, and the vibration properties of the system. Subsequently, a dynamic model considering the three factors was built and validated by the test data. Finally, fatigue damage of shaft parts and gear parts were calculated to investigate the influence degrees of the three factors. The results show that, the harmonic engine torque and the vibration properties of the powertrain system have a great influence on the fatigue damage of shaft parts, and the mean engine torque is the main factor causing the fatigue damage of gear parts.

Lateral overturns are the most frequent fatal accidents involving tractors. A tractor being able to travel safely on uneven or sloped terrain is still an open field of investigation. The design concept of a four-wheel-drive tractor that can traverse hilly and mountainous areas is described. The tractor’s locomotion system can actively adjust its roll angle by using the attitude adjustment mechanisms equipped on the rear wheels. With double quadrangle mechanisms, the front axle can cooperate with the rear axle to adjust this tractor’s attitude. This tractor can also level its body, steer, and transmit power. The principles and configurations of the two axles are presented. A mathematics/mechanical model of a tractor on lateral slopes was developed. This model considers the relationships of the ground supporting forces when the tractor adjusts its roll angle. Combining the model of specific attitude adjustment mechanisms and the above mechanics model, the lateral stability analysis associated with the active input of the attitude adjustment mechanism is conducted. The reliability of the proposed model is discussed based on a comparison of slope traversing experiments and numerical simulations. This designed tractor has potential application in the fields of hilly and mountainous terrains. The results show that posture/configuration adjustment is a positive way to enhance tractor lateral overturn stability.

A Highway Intelligent Space System (HISS) is proposed to study vehicle environment perception in this paper. The nature of HISS is that a space sensors system using laser, ultrasonic or radar sensors are installed in a highway environment and communication technology is used to realize the information exchange between the HISS server and vehicles, which provides vehicles with the surrounding road information. Considering the high-speed feature of vehicles on highways, when vehicles will be passing a road ahead that is prone to accidents, the vehicle driving state should be predicted to ensure drivers have road environment perception information in advance, thereby ensuring vehicle driving safety and stability. In order to verify the accuracy and feasibility of the HISS, a traditional vehicle-mounted sensor system for environment perception is used to obtain the relative driving state. Furthermore, an inter-vehicle dynamics model is built and model predictive control approach is used to predict the driving state in the following period. Finally, the simulation results shows that using the HISS for environment perception can arrive at the same results detected by a traditional vehicle-mounted sensors system. Meanwhile, we can further draw the conclusion that using HISS to realize vehicle environment perception can ensure system stability, thereby demonstrating the method’s feasibility.

Variable-diameter wheels balance the high mobility and limited volume of a planetary rover. Moreover, these wheels allow a rover to adjust its body attitude to adapt to rough terrains. These functions are achieved through the expansion–retraction motion of the variable-diameter mechanisms in the wheels. Thus, the traditional wheel design focuses on these mechanisms. To further facilitate its application, we propose a new concept variable-diameter wheel that considers the mechanism characteristics and wheel performances. This new wheel configuration is presented along with the corresponding transmission system, design, and analysis methods. Kinematic equations of the mechanism were established and then applied to synthesize the wheel dimensions. The load–deflection relationship of the wheels was analytically derived by developing a modified pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM). Finite element analysis (FEA) simulations were performed to validate the design and analysis. In conclusion, the proposed novel wheel is extremely beneficial for rough-terrain locomotion systems. Furthermore, the design and analysis approaches used in this study are applicable for other expandable wheels.