Intelligent Steering System for Electrical Power Trains

Abstract:
In the focus of this paper is a revolutionary steering system for vehicles of all kinds. It was developed primarily for unmanned vehicles in service and logistics applications, but can also be used in manned vehicles in the scope of eMobility and disposes of the potential to improve maneuverability, efficiency and dynamic behavior of such vehicles. The patented steering principle is based on the concept to use the torque of the drive motors additionally for steering independent or coupled axes (torque steering). By means of an appropriate control system all wheels can be steered sequentially or simultaneously; the challenges concerning this control system in terms of velocity and processing capacity is high. At the Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten a first prototype was successfully realized proving the general feasibility of the concept and underlining the prominent advantages.