Control objectives and systems analysis: innovation drivers for electric power-assisted steering

This paper is concerned with aspects of the analysis, design and implementation of an Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS) system. In particular, it presents a number of innovative areas of the design characterised by the fact that in some sense they lie outside the usual constrained ´feedback loop design´ view of the Control Systems discipline, but whose underlying and unifying theme is that their origins can be traced to specific control objectives and/or dynamic systems analysis or approach. The paper commences by introducing the EPAS system concept where both the technical and commercial benefits are compared with existing technologies. The remainder of the paper is then focused on detailed examples which link control and systems analysis to innovative areas of the design.