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The main trend in designs of modern automobiles is a widespread use of mechatronic modules and systems. These modules are built as a symbiosis of electric, electronic and hydraulic components, united by means of the control system and intended to fulfill particular targeted functions. In the article results of a comprehensive theoretical and experimental study aimed at creating a drive and a control system of a wheel module intended to be used with the steering and spring systems of an automobile and a mobile robot have been considered. Also the basic principles of the a complex of mechatronic drives of the wheel module (CMD WM) and technical requirements for the components of the complex as a mechatronic module of the system of active safety of the automobile and mobile robot have been formulated.

The modular designing principle is generally recognized in the automotive industry. However, the issue of building a wheel open-link locomotion module (OLLM) as a combination of steering (wheel turning), springing, traction drive and braking systems is not properly developed yet. An automated control system (ACS) is needed to able to unite and coordinate all the vehicle systems intended to manage the wheel. The automated control system intended to manage the steering and wheel springing parameters is a combination of an information and power channels, through which the wheel is electro-hydraulically driven, and the steering, springing and braking systems are controlled. The number of such channels in a wheeled mover of the vehicle or mobile robot is defined by the wheel type (driving, driven, steered or non-steered wheel). The plurality of such channels forms a complex of automated control systems of the wheeled mover.

An open-link locomotion module (OLLM) is an autonomous energy self-sufficient locomotion setup for designing ground wheeled vehicles of a given configuration that includes drive/driven and steered/non-steered wheels with individual suspension and brake systems. Off-road applications include both trucks and trailers. The paper concentrates on the module's electro-hydraulic suspension design and presents results of analytical and experimental studies of a trailer with four driven (no wheel torque applied) open-link locomotion modules. On highly non-even terrain, the suspension design provides the sprung mass with sufficient vibration protection at low level of normal oscillations, enhanced damping and stabilized angular movements. This is achieved by the introduction of two control loops: (i) a fast-acting loop to control the damping of the normal displacements; and (ii) a slow-acting control loop for varying the pressure and counter-pressure in the suspension system.

An electro-hydraulic servo system makes the basis for a mechatronic locomotion module (LM) and for a complex comprising an LM and an undercarriage of a vehicle. The servo system of the wheel module/LM complex is a combination of the information and power channels of the electro-hydraulic wheel drive within the steering system. A combination of the servo systems makes up a complex of servo systems of the steering system of the multi axis wheel mover of the vehicle. Theoretical and experimental studies of the functioning all-wheel steering were aimed on substantiation the rational algorithmic maintenance of the automatic control system. The results of the study allowed formulating the basic principles of designing and calculating the functionality algorithms for the steering system of the complex of mechatronic modules of the multi-axis vehicle.