An independent steering system includes a knuckle fastened to inside of a wheel and driven integrally with the wheel, an upper arm fastened to an upper end portion of the knuckle, a lower arm fastened to a lower end portion of the knuckle, a steering motor positioned on the lower arm, and a steering gear portion having a first end portion connected to the steering motor and a second end portion engaged to the knuckle, wherein the steering gear portion rotates integrally with the knuckle by a rotation force of the steering motor.

An electric vehicle controls turning of the electric vehicle in accordance with the orientation of the wheels and skid steering to match the path and turning radius as indicated by the steering wheel. A processing circuit detects the position of the steering wheel and determines the direction of the turn and the resulting path and turning radius of the electric vehicle. The processing circuit either measures the orientation of the wheels or captures data regarding the turning radius of the electric vehicle. The processing circuit controls the traction motors of the electric vehicle so that the actual path and turning radius of the electric vehicle matches the path and turning radius indicated by the steering wheel. Further, the processing circuit may further control controls the traction motors to attempted to maintain the speed of the electric vehicle as indicated by the throttle.

Disclosed herein is a method and arrangement for safe limiting of torque overlay intervention in a power assisted steering system of a road vehicle having an autonomous steering function arranged to selectively apply a steering wheel overlay torque to a normal steering assistance torque. A wheel self-aligning torque (ƒ.sub.R) of the road vehicle is modelled for a current vehicle velocity (ν) and pinion angle (δ.sub.w). A steering wheel overlay torque request (τ.sub.R) is received. Based on the received steering wheel overlay torque request (τ.sub.R) is provided a steering wheel overlay torque (τ.sub.A) in hands-off applications limited to a safe set interval that is symmetrical around the modeled wheel self-aligning torque (ƒ.sub.R).

A shortening of an initial diagnosis time is achieved, even after an elapse of a predetermined delay time from an ignition switch being switched to an off-state. After the ignition switch is switched to an off-state after an operation of a control device, which drives an electric motor that applies steering assistance force to a steering system, diagnosis of a power supply circuit that supplies power to the control device is carried out, and a diagnosis item to be implemented in a succeeding initial diagnosis is determined based on a result of the diagnosis.

A snowmobile having enhanced steering control has driving control system including an electrically actuated device coupled to a steering system having a user operated steering element with the device applying torque to the steering system, a throttle, a plurality of sensors including a torque sensor and at least one additional sensor to generate terrain condition data and operational data, and at least one controller coupled to the device and the sensors. The at least one controller selects a terrain condition mode using the generated terrain condition and generated operational data, determines the torque to apply responsive to the angle and speed of rotation of user operated steering element, and operates the electrically actuated device to apply the torque to the steering system, with the torque being applied only by the electrically actuated device.

A steering system is provided with a control unit (15) configured to determine a target steered angle (αt) according to a steering angle (β) of a steering shaft (18) which is fitted with a steering wheel (19) and drive a steering actuator so as to cause the steered angle (α) to coincide with the target steered angle, and to determine a target reaction force (Tt) according to a steered state of the wheels and drive a reaction force actuator (13) so as to cause the reaction force to coincide with the target reaction force. The control unit is configured to correct an output of the steering angle sensor in such a manner that a geometric steering center of the steering wheel coincides with a mechanical steering center of the steering shaft upon receiving a prescribed input (S) from a manual input switch (37).

System and methods for characterizing a response of a structure-under-test to applied excitation forces using a test fixture. The fixture is selectively coupleable to the structure-under-test and is configured to hold the structure-under-test at a known position and in a known orientation relative to the fixture. A plurality of excitation devices and response sensors are coupled to the fixture. Excitation forces applied to the fixture by the excitation devices are conveyed by the fixture to the structure-under-test and each response sensor measures a dynamic response indicative of a response of the structure-under-test and the fixture to the applied excitation force. A controller receives response sensor data and applies a mathematical coordinate transformation to project the forces and moments corresponding to the applied excitation and the measured dynamic responses to a target point of the structure-under-test and to calculate a system response function based at least in part on the projection.

A steering control device includes a control unit. The control unit is configured to execute a control angle calculation process, an angle feedback process, and a standard value adjustment process. The control angle calculation process is a process of calculating a control angle as an absolute angle relative to a standard value, and the angle feedback process is a process of performing feedback control on the control angle, and the standard value adjustment process is a process of adjusting the stored standard value. The standard value adjustment process includes a process of, when, in a straight-ahead state, the control angle deviates from a value showing the straight-ahead state, adjusting the standard value such that the deviation of the control angle from the value showing the straight-ahead state decreases.

A method of maintaining stability of a motor vehicle having a first axle, a second axle, and a steering actuator configured to steer the first axle includes determining localization and heading of the vehicle. The method also includes determining a current side-slip angle of the second axle and setting a maximum side-slip angle of the second axle using the friction coefficient at the vehicle and road surface interface. The method additionally includes predicting when the maximum side-slip angle would be exceeded using the localization, heading, and determined current side-slip angle as inputs to a linear computational model. The method also includes updating the model using the prediction of when the maximum side-slip angle would be exceeded to determine impending instability of the vehicle. Furthermore, the method includes correcting for the impending instability using the updated model and the maximum side-slip angle via modifying a steering angle of the first axle.

An element-side connection terminal (40) extending from a power conversion circuit unit (16) includes a first connection terminal portion (40A) that extends in a direction intersecting a direction of extension of a counterpart-side connection terminal (38); and a second connection terminal portion (40B) that is bent at a point before the first connection terminal portion (40A) reaches the counterpart-side connection terminal (38) in a direction to intersect the direction of extension of the counterpart-side connection terminal (38) such that the second connection terminal portion (40B) is provided with elasticity and is in an elastic contact with the counterpart-side connection terminal (38) at an angle. A tip end side (38T) of the counterpart-side connection terminal (38) and a tip end side (40T) of the second connection terminal portion (40B) are electrically joined.