Design of variable-geometry suspension for driver assistance systems

The paper proposes a control design method based on a variable-geometry suspension system applied in a driver assistance system. During maneuvers an autonomous control system modifies the camber angle of the front wheels by using the variable-geometry system in order to improve road stability. The control system guarantees various crucial performances which are related to the chassis roll angle and half-track change. Moreover, by changing the camber angle of the front wheels the yaw rate of the vehicle is modified, which can be used to reduce the tracking error from the reference yaw rate. Thus, with the reconfiguration of the camber angle, the variable-geometry system can also be used as a driver assistance system. The design of a reconfigurable suspension system is based on robust LPV methods, which meet the performance specifications and guarantee robustness against model uncertainties. The operation of the control system is illustrated through different vehicle maneuvers.