Using scaled vehicles to investigate the influence of various properties on rollover propensity

Quantifying a vehicle´s rollover propensity is a complex task and one that is of major concern to vehicle dynamicists. This research effort illustrates how a scaled vehicle can be used in determining vehicle properties that influence rollover propensity. A two-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a global positioning system (GPS) unit are mounted to a scaled vehicle to measure its dynamic behavior. Vehicle maneuvers are performed on a test track and a computer vehicle simulation is used to compare the experimental results from the scaled vehicle with passenger vehicle dynamics. The simulation was able to accurately predict the dynamic behavior of the scaled vehicle, providing a link between full size vehicle roll dynamics and scale vehicle roll dynamics.