ABSTRACT
The paper presents the modeling and control design of a variable-geometry suspension system, which is applied as independent wheel steering for in-wheel electric vehicles. The variable-geometry suspension modifies the tilting of the wheel, which has an effect on the steering of the wheels through the variation of the scrub radius. In the paper the model of the suspension-steering system and the relationship between the steering and the suspension geometry are formulated using nonlinear dynamical equations. The model is validated through a high-fidelity multi-body suspension model SimMechanics. In the paper the robust combined feedforward-feedback control design of the independent steering system is presented. Finally, the proposed control system is used in different vehicle scenarios.
