A pedestrian truck (50) steered with a tiller (56) is operable in a first mode where a controllable front wheel (64) is aligned generally parallel with a front-rear centre line of the truck, or a second mode where the wheel is generally perpendicular to the front-rear centre line. A steering controller can operate in either a normal steering mode to steer the rear steerable wheel (52) in the same sense (clockwise or anticlockwise) as the tiller is rotated and in an alternate steering mode to steer the rear steerable wheel in the opposite sense to the rotation of the tiller. A steering mode selector is provided which automatically engages the alternate steering mode when the truck is in the second mode of operation and either (i) the tiller is positioned on the same side of the centre line as the controllable front wheel and the drive direction is such that the tiller leads the truck (FIGS. 12-14), or (ii) the tiller is positioned on the same side of the centre line as the castor front wheel (58) and the drive direction is such that the tiller trails the truck (FIGS. 4, 5).

Disclosed is a corner module apparatus for a vehicle. The apparatus includes processors configured to obtain driving state information and driving environment information of the vehicle, and a controller configured to calculate information on a distance up to a target point based on the driving state information and the driving environment information obtained by the processors. The target point is a target of a movement of the vehicle. The controller is configured to calculate a target curvature based on the calculated information on the distance. The calculated target curvature is a curvature of a target trajectory up to the target point. The controller is configured to calculate a target steering angle of each of four wheels of the vehicle based on the calculated target curvature, and independently control steering of each of the four wheels based on the calculated target steering angle.

A steering method of a multi-directional industrial truck for controlling a movement of the multi-directional industrial truck from a starting position into a target position. The method includes selectively controlling automatically at least one of a rotatory component of the movement and a translatory component of the movement.

A sport-wheeled chassis is provided for connecting to a mobility device, which comprises a suspension set up under the bottom of the mobility device, a steering pivotally connected to the suspension, a controller connected to the suspension and steering electrically, tires which are pivotally connected to the steering and disposed under the steering, and a steering shaft of the steering which coincides axially with the steering shaft of the tire so that the controller can operate the turning direction of the tire and the height of the suspension through the suspension and the steering. The chassis is not only with a simple structure, but also with a suspension to control the height of the chassis off the ground, so that the chassis can maintain stability in any rugged environment, and, with its attached wheels, the chassis can move to desired places fast and accurately.

A four wheel steering vehicle (1), in which front wheels (2f) and rear wheels (2r) can be steered in response to a steering input from a steering wheel (11), includes a rear wheel steering control unit (50) that variably controls a rear wheel steering device such that the rear wheels are steered in a prescribed relation to a steered angle of the front wheels. When the steering input is determined while the front wheel brake and the rear wheel brake are engaged, the rear wheel steering control unit disengages the rear wheel brake and steers the rear wheels. When the fore and aft inclination angle detected by an inclination sensor (40) provided on the vehicle is greater than a threshold value, the rear wheel steering control unit prohibits a steering of the rear wheels and keeps the rear wheel brake engaged even if the steering input is determined.

The simultaneous maneuvering system includes a base, a plurality of wheel assemblies including at least one wheel rotatably mounted to the base, a plurality of steering rotors rotatably mounted to the base and the wheel assemblies, and a drive assembly having a drive frame coupled to each of the rotors. Operation of the drive assembly causes simultaneous rotation of the rotors and, thereby, positions the wheel of each corresponding wheel assembly in a desired direction.

A rear wheel steering system may include: a vehicle speed detection unit configured to detect a vehicle speed; a steering angle detection unit configured to detect a steering angle based on an operation of a steering wheel; a pinion angle detection unit configured to detect a pinion angle based on an operation of the steering wheel; a rear wheel driving unit configured to steer rear wheels; and a control unit configured to receive the vehicle speed, the steering angle, and the pinion angle from the vehicle speed detection unit, the steering angle detection unit, and the pinion angle detection unit, calculate a target rear wheel steering angle for steering the rear wheels, calculate a final rear wheel steering angle at which a steering point of the rear wheels is adjusted using a steering angle speed, the vehicle speed, and the pinion speed, and operate the rear wheel driving unit.

A control system calculates inputs to a control target that has m inputs and n outputs (m=n, each of m and n is a natural number that is more than one), while designating a plurality of combinations of the inputs and the outputs. A feedback controller calculates, with respect to each designated combination, a control input to a non-interference controller based on a difference between a target value and a current value of the control quantity to make the current value follow the target value. The non-interference controller executes, with respect to each designated combination, a non-interference control to reduce influence due to mutual interference between n control quantities. This reduces the number of combinations of the inputs and the outputs, the combinations whose mutual interference needs considering; thereby, the non-interference control may be easily achieved.

The following description relates to a fault tolerant apparatus for an independent controlled steering in a four wheel system, particularly a fault tolerant apparatus for an independent controlled steering in a four wheel system which can stabilizes a vehicle body through actively adjusting a steering angle of a vehicle and a velocity of a vehicle according to a breakdown environment and a vehicle driving road environment. Further, a fault tolerant apparatus for an independent controlled steering in a four wheel system that may assist a safe driving environment by adjusting a turning function adoptively to a surrounding road environment.

A method of braking an AGV, the AGV including a support structure and at least three drive units connected to the support structure, wherein each drive unit includes a wheel rotatable about a wheel axis and about a steering axis perpendicular to the wheel axis; an electric wheel motor arranged to drive the wheel about the wheel axis; a wheel sensor device arranged to determine a rotational position of the wheel about the wheel axis; an electric steering motor arranged to drive the wheel about the steering axis; and a steering sensor device arranged to determine a rotational position of the wheel about the steering axis; wherein the method includes positioning the wheels of the drive units in an invalid configuration; and position controlling each wheel about the respective steering axis in the invalid configuration.