Safe and Stable Narrow Tilting Commuter Vehicles

窄的车辆，如摩托车，可以促进显着改善公路利用率通过使用半宽车道。 然而，为了让公众采用这种形式的个人交通工具，窄型车辆应该明显地提供与轿车相同的易用性和相同的安全水平。 该项目探讨了一些基本技术，可以使这种原型狭窄的车辆可行的发展。该项目旨在开发一种概念窄车，与其轨道宽度相比相对较高，以便提供与高速公路上其他车辆相当的行驶高度。 为了帮助驾驶员平衡相对高，窄的车辆，它将纳入一个电子倾斜控制系统，以确保倾斜稳定性。 倾斜控制系统将平衡车辆并提高易用性，特别是在车辆必须倾斜进入弯道以确保倾斜稳定性的弯道上。 该车辆将被设计为提供碰撞保护，其乘员是显着优于摩托车的上级。 在这个探索性项目中解决了几个基本挑战，以便使上述概念狭窄车辆的开发成为现实。 其中包括开发可与紧凑型电机一起工作的直接倾斜控制系统，车辆的倾斜与其转向同步，以便最大限度地减少致动器的作用力，并发展转向-前轮转向角度用于控制倾斜的钢丝系统，同时明显地允许驾驶员使用转向角度进行横向控制。由明尼苏达大学ITS研究所提供。 探索性项目的成功完成将使研究团队能够从行业中寻求进一步发展的资金，并定期向NSF和其他资助机构撰写完整的提案。该项目通过结合控制，动力学，传感器电子和车辆设计方面的重要活动来促进跨学科研究。 除了通过开发新的个人交通工具对运输产生直接影响外，该项目还可能有助于改善其他公路车辆系统。

Narrow vehicles like motorcycles can promote significantly improved highway utilization through the use of half-width lanes. However, in order for the general public to adopt this form of personal transportation, narrow vehicles should perceptibly provide the same ease of use and the same level of safety as passenger sedans. This project explores some fundamental technologies that can make the development of such a prototype narrow vehicle feasible. The project aims to develop a concept narrow vehicle that will be relatively tall compared to its track width so as to provide a travel height that is comparable to that of other vehicles on the highway. To help the driver balance a relatively tall, narrow vehicle, it will incorporate an electronic tilt control system that ensures tilt stability. The tilt control system will balance the vehicle and improve ease of use, especially on curves where the vehicle must lean into the curve to ensure tilt stability. The vehicle will be designed to provide crash protection for its occupants that is significantly superior to that of a motorcycle. Several fundamental challenges are addressed in this exploratory project in order to make the development of the concept narrow vehicle described above a practical reality. These include the development of a direct tilt control system that can operate with a compact motor, synchronization of the tilting of the vehicle with its turning so as to minimize actuator effort and the development of a steer-by-wire system in which the front wheel steering angle is used to control tilt while at the same time perceptibly allowing the driver to use the steering angle for purposes of lateral control.Significant matching funds for the project are provided by the ITS Institute, University of Minnesota. Successful completion of the exploratory project will enable the research team to solicit funding from industries for further development as well as to write regular full proposals to NSF and other funding agencies. The project promotes cross-disciplinary research by combining significant activities in controls, dynamics, sensor electronics and vehicle design. In addition to its direct impact on transportation through the development of a new personal transportation vehicle, the project is also likely to contribute to improvement of other highway vehicle systems in general.