A steering assistance control apparatus to be applied to a vehicle includes a detection unit and a correction unit. The detection unit is configured to detect a road surface cant of a road on which the vehicle is traveling. The correction unit is configured to correct a steering target steering-wheel angle in a steering control system, on the basis of a steering characteristic value for each of left steering and right steering and the road surface cant detected by the detection unit. The steering characteristic value indicates a steering characteristic for each combination of a traveling speed and the road surface cant.

A steering assistance control apparatus to be applied to a vehicle includes a detection unit and a correction unit. The detection unit is configured to detect a road surface cant of a road on which the vehicle is traveling. The correction unit is configured to correct steering target torque in a steering control system, on the basis of a steering characteristic value for each of left steering and right steering and the road surface cant detected by the detection unit. The steering characteristic value indicates a steering characteristic for each combination of a traveling speed and the road surface cant.

An over actuated system capable of controlling wheel parameters, such as speed (e.g., by torque and braking), steering angles, caster angles, camber angles, and toe angles, of wheels in an associated vehicle. The system may determine the associated vehicle is in a rollover state and adjust wheel parameters to prevent vehicle rollover. Additionally, the system may determine a driving state and dynamically adjust wheel parameters to optimize driving, including, for example, cornering and parking. Such a system may also dynamically detect wheel misalignment and provide alignment and/or corrective driving solutions. Further, by utilizing degenerate solutions for driving, the system may also estimate tire-surface parameterization data for various road surfaces and make such estimates available for other vehicles via a network.

A vehicle control apparatus includes an automatic driving control device determining a travel route at a time of executing an automatic driving based on surrounding environment information and position information of a vehicle, and outputting a control amount corresponding to the travel route, and a steering control device calculating a steering control amount based on the control target value. There is a performing of steering control of the vehicle based on the steering control amount, wherein the automatic driving control device dynamically determines a control amount threshold value for regulating a limit of the steering control amount based on automatic driving control information indicating a control state in an automatic driving of the vehicle, and provides the steering control device with the control amount threshold value, and the steering control device changes the steering control amount not to exceed the control amount threshold value.

A method and system for estimating surface roughness of a ground for an off-road vehicle to control steering of a vehicle, an implement, or both, comprises detecting motion data of an off-road vehicle traversing a field or work site during a sampling interval. A first sensor is adapted to detect pitch data of the off-road vehicle for the sampling interval to obtain a pitch acceleration. A second sensor is adapted to detect roll data of the off-road vehicle for the sampling interval to obtain a roll acceleration. An electronic data processor or surface roughness index module determines or estimates a surface roughness index based on the detected motion data, pitch data and roll data for the sampling interval. The surface roughness index can be displayed on the graphical display to a user or operator of the vehicle.

An apparatus for estimating a friction coefficient of a road surface is provided. The apparatus includes a current sensor configured to measure a control current value of a rear wheel steering (RWS) motor, a stroke sensor configured to measure a stroke value indicating a movement amount of a rear wheel steering link, and a controller configured to estimate the friction coefficient of the road surface based on the control current value measured by the current sensor and the stroke value measured by the stroke sensor.

A vehicle steering intervention system and method prevents a loss of vehicle control condition or a vehicle rollover condition. The system includes a driver input torque sensor for sensing torque applied by a driver to a steering wheel, a steering angle sensor for sensing a steering angle, and a speed determination device for determining a vehicle speed. An electronic power steering unit includes an electronic processor and a memory. The electronic power steering unit determines a vehicle steering intervention threshold based on the torque sensed, the steering angle, and the vehicle speed. The electronic power steering unit predicts whether the vehicle steering intervention threshold will be exceeded within a predetermined time based on a torque gradient and/or a steering angle gradient. When the vehicle steering intervention threshold is predicted to be exceeded, the electronic power steering unit reduces a power steering assist and/or provides a counter steer force.

An AV is described herein. The AV includes a lidar sensor system. The AV additionally includes a computing system that executes a road surface analysis component to determine, based upon lidar sensor data, whether a road surface feature is present on or in a roadway in a travel path of the AV. The AV can be configured to initiate a mitigation maneuver responsive to determining that the road surface feature is present. Performing the mitigation maneuver causes the AV to avoid the road surface feature or decelerate prior to reaching the road surface feature, thereby improving the apparent quality or comfort of the ride to a passenger of the AV.

Systems and methods are provided for generating adapted tuning parameters for target slip estimation, the parameters being adapted to real-time road surface conditions. The method includes, receiving, from a road surface detection module, a road surface condition, S.sub.n, from among N road surface conditions S, range of friction, mu, and a confidence level, Ci. The method receives sensor system data from a sensor system, and determines, as a function of S.sub.n, range of mu, and Ci, initial estimator values including an estimated initial frictional force {circumflex over (Θ)}(0), an initial gain, P.sub.0, and an initial projected range of signal bounds, (P.sub.u) and (P.sub.l). The method tunes (i.e., adapts) the initial estimator values to generate therefrom adapted tuning parameters based on received inputs. The method outputs adapted tuning parameters.

A control system for a steering system of a vehicle, the control system comprising: a processing module configured to obtain an indication of a proximity of a road wheel of the vehicle to a limit of adhesion, and to generate a driver feedback signal in the event that the road wheel is at or beyond the limit of adhesion; and an output arranged to issue the driver feedback signal.