Optimal Preview Car Steering Control.

Steering of a car to follow a prescribed path with minimal error is represented as a problem in optimal linear discrete time preview control. A standard yaw/sideslip linear car model is put into discrete time form and joined with a road preview model. A quadratic cost function consisting of terms describing path and attitude errors with respect to a roadway and steering angle control is minimised by standard optimal control theory methods, using MATLAB™ to perform the necessary computations. The form taken by the optimal preview control, with variations in the weighting of terms in the cost function and with variations in the vehicle speed, is established. The results are examined in the context of real driving and tested by simulation of manoeuvres using the optimal steering control in what is thought to approximate the manner of a real driver. New insights into steering of vehicles are generated and new avenues for exploration of the influences on the driver of varying the vehicle dynamic properties are opened up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]