Multiple-degree-of-freedom vehicle
A multi-degree-of-freedom vehicle employs a compliant linkage to accommodate the need for a variation in the distance between drive wheels or drive systems which are independently steerable and drivable. The subject vehicle is provided with rotary encodes to provide signals representative of the orientation of the steering pivot associated with each such drive wheel or system, and a linear encoder which issues a signal representative of the fluctuations in the distance between the drive elements. The wheels of the vehicle are steered and driven in response to the linear encoder signal, there being provided a controller system for minimizing the fluctuations in the distance. The controller system is a software implementation of a plurality of controllers, operating at the chassis level and at the vehicle level. A trajectory interpolator receives x-displacement, y-displacement, and {theta}-displacement signals and produces to the vehicle level controller trajectory signals corresponding to interpolated control signals. The x-displacement, y-displacement, and {theta}-displacement signals are received from a human operator, via a manipulable joy stick. 19 figs.
- Assignee:
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5,456,332/A/
- Application Number:
- PAN: 7-973,999; CNN: Grant DDM-9114394
- OSTI ID:
- 119061
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 10 Oct 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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