Investigation of a New Steering Method to Improve Control During Cornering 2007-01-4218

A new steering method to improve control during cornering is examined using a driving simulator, and the following findings were obtained. During cornering, there is a danger that it is not possible to finish curving is course out by the only differentiation steering. However, the driver can easily maintain a drift in the drift area when assisted by differentiation steering, and the behavior of the return to a straight course becomes stable. Therefore, since a remarkable effect was expected by controlling the steering method corresponding to the running condition, an examination experiment was performed. The shapes of the waves of initial steering at start up differ according to the running condition, and as a result, initial steering of the steering wheel is a two-step motion in J-turn running. In contrast, smooth steering proceeds without steps in the lane change running. Therefore, distinction between J-turn running and lane change running can be performed based of whether the initial steering proceeds in steps. Moreover, the lateral change in gaze differs according to the running condition and can be distinguished on the boundary of the change amount of gaze of approximately 5° during J-turn running and lane change running. In particular, when J-turn running and lane change running, distinction by gaze was possible because there occurred a difference in the amount of change of remarkable gaze in the area where the control was especially necessary.