Roll angle estimation in two-wheeled vehicles

Abstract

An innovative method for estimating the roll angle in two-wheeled vehicles is proposed. The roll angle is a crucial variable in the dynamics of two-wheeled vehicles, since it greatly affects the behaviour of the tire-road contact forces. Hence, the capability of providing in real time a reliable measure of such quantity allows us to evaluate the dynamic properties of the vehicle and its tyres, and represents the enabling technology for the design of advanced braking, traction and stability control systems. The method proposed is based on a lowcost sensor configuration, suitable for industrial purposes. The validity of the proposed approach is assessed in a multi-body motorbike simulator environment and also on an instrumented test vehicle. © The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2009.