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On the basis of three examples of Darmstadt University research some problems and future tasks of designing the man-vehicle-interface are described. The driving behavior of passenger car drivers in real traffic is analyzed and possibilities to protect the driver in critical driving situations are derived. A new device for measuring the coupling forces between motorcycles and drivers which are essential to motorcycle dynamics is presented. First results with this are discussed. Finally, research into emergency braking is described. The research work was jointly conducted by the Department of Automotive Engineering (fzd) and the Institute of Ergonomics (IAD) of the Technical University of Darmstadt.

Future on-board vehicle control systems can be further improved through new types of mechatronic systems. In particular, these systems'' capacities for interaction enhance safety, comfort and economic viability. The Automotive Engineering Department (fzd) of Darmstadt University of Technology is engaged in research of the mechatronic vehicle corner, which consists of three subsystems: sensor tire, electrically actuated wheel brake and smart suspension. By intercommunication of these three systems, the brake controller receives direct, fast and permanent information about dynamic events in the tire contact area provided by the tire sensor as valuable control input. This allows to control operation conditions of each wheel brake. The information provided by the tire sensor for example helps to distinguish between straightline driving and cornering as well as to determine μ-split conditions.

Tyre/road-friction determines which driving manoeuvres are physically possible and is therefore of utmost importance for vehicle safety. At the Department of Automotive Engineering (fzd, Head: Prof. Dr.-Ing. B. Breuer) of Darmstadt University (THD) research on the on-board measurement of tyre/road friction was started 1988 and has since then been funded by Deutsche Forschungs-Gemeinschaft (DFG) and within the European research-project PROMETHEUS. Methods and instruments described in this paper represent its present state. Two different methods of friction detection are proposed: one computes a μ-slip-curve from contactless measurements of the road surface, the other derives friction from signals gained inside the tyre. Beside several influences on the friction level, which are measured in their entirety on real roads under natural conditions, some effects of local tyre behaviour are discussed.

Brake force distribution to the front and rear wheel is normally left to the drivers of motorcycles; some production vehicles have so called combined or integrated brakes where brake force distribution is predetermined by design. Research work on the braking behaviour of motorcycles was done by the authors with two 1000 cc-motorcycles, which were equipped with 2 different ABS (mechanical, /, electronic) and subjected to driving experiments on various road surfaces at different speeds in straight ahead and curve braking. Braking performance and driving stability was investigated for normal and emergency braking with both standard and combined brakes with and without ABS. The results demonstrate, that braking performance and safety is best with ABS in a combined-brake-vehicle. Curve braking is difficult and complex in any case and needs more research which is in progress in Darmstadt right now.