Fuzzy Controller for Automatic Steering in Heavy Vehicle Semi-Trailers

Trucks with semi-trailers are widely used for transportation of goods due their low operation cost, but inherent to these vehicles are some problems such as a poor maneuverability. To minimize the effects of this disadvantage, among other solutions, the incorporation of steerable axles in the semitrailers has been proposed. This paper presents a steering equation, and a fuzzy-logic controller for a semi-trailer automatic forced-steering system to minimize the off-tracking and the total swept path width, resulting in an improvement of vehicle's maneuverability at low speeds. To accomplish this, the suggested control algorithm considers the articulation angle and parameters such as vehicle speed and direction. The system was tested on an instrumented experimental semi-trailer during various predetermined test maneuvers.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bortoni-Anzures,L., Gómez-Meléndez,D., Herrera-Ruíz,G., Martínez-Madrid,M.
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Ingeniería 2013
Online Access:http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1405-77432013000100001
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Summary:Trucks with semi-trailers are widely used for transportation of goods due their low operation cost, but inherent to these vehicles are some problems such as a poor maneuverability. To minimize the effects of this disadvantage, among other solutions, the incorporation of steerable axles in the semitrailers has been proposed. This paper presents a steering equation, and a fuzzy-logic controller for a semi-trailer automatic forced-steering system to minimize the off-tracking and the total swept path width, resulting in an improvement of vehicle's maneuverability at low speeds. To accomplish this, the suggested control algorithm considers the articulation angle and parameters such as vehicle speed and direction. The system was tested on an instrumented experimental semi-trailer during various predetermined test maneuvers.