Vehicle Dynamics Models

Nonplanar Vehicle Dynamics

This research project developed and deployed a novel vehicle modeling approach suitable for surfaces that aren't flat.

This approach captures nonplanar effects on smooth surfaces but remains computationally tractable for model-based control.

It is founded on the observation that many vehicles remain tangent to the surface they drive over.

This assumption is standard for existing control-oriented models, but is limited to flat surfaces.

We generalize to a nonplanar surface and derive a physics-based model from first principles.

We then apply standard kinematic and dynamic vehicle models and tackle previously unachievable control problems.

Applications include lane keeping on nonplanar surfaces such as off-camber turns, optimal racelines, overtaking, and path planning.

Publications:

Models and Predictive Control for Nonplanar Vehicle Navigation

Vehicle Models and Optimal Control on a Nonplanar Surface

Overtaking Maneuvers on a Nonplanar Racetrack

Github Repository:

https://github.com/thomasfork/Nonplanar-Vehicle-Control