Yaw rate and roll motion control of 4IWMD/4WS vehicle based on active rear steering and torque coordination

To improve the handling performance of four-in-wheel-motor-drive (4IWMD) and four-wheel-steering (4WS) vehicles, an integrated control scheme based on active rear steering (ARS) and torque coordination is developed in this study. Considering the tracking of reference states, and the constraints of motor torque and steering angle, the integrated control scheme is designed through model predictive control (MPC). The active rear steering and direct yaw moment generated by the in-wheel motors can assist the vehicle in tracking the desired yaw rate to improve the handling performance. By utilizing the anti-dive forces of the vehicle suspensions, roll motion can be directly controlled via torque coordination without using active suspension. Simulation on a single lane change maneuver is performed, and the results demonstrate that the proposed controller can effectively improve the handling performance and ensure roll stability.