Search Results

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.

To improve both the sensing of grip critical cornering and drift control, it is desirable to increase the body slip angle at critical cornering. To discover why this facilitates driver control, the gaze of the driver was monitored, and the relationship between the gaze movement of the driver and the vehicle behavior was investigated. It was found that the driver steered by gazing at the target course in the direction of the inside forward of the vehicle in the grip driving area. On the other hand, the gaze movement of the driver corresponded to the change in the body slip angle in the grip critical cornering area-drift cornering area. That is, in the drift driving area, it was found that the drift was controlled by gazing at the direction of the drift angle of the outside forward of the vehicle, feeding back the body slip angle, and sensing the change from the grip critical cornering to the drift area.

Various studies have been done into the steering models that describe how the driver steers the vehicle. However, no steering models for critical cornering have been developed. In this paper, the steering characteristic was investigated by monitoring the gaze of the driver during critical cornering. The direction of the steering model during critical cornering was considered. Since the driver can readily perceive the vehicle body slip angle if body sensory information is combined with visual information, it is important for the driver to be able to look at the target course easily and to control the drift well. Drivers exhibit the tendency to position their gaze point on a difficult corner exit to drive when body sensory information is combined with visual information. Thus, it was found that the driver can perceive the roll motion and visual feedback the body slip angle, and drive while stabilizing the vehicle from the corner exit to back straight.