Steering feel generation in steer-by-wire vehicles – modular steering torque computation and requirements for the hand wheel actuator

Abstract

Unlike conventional steering systems, there is no mechanical linkage between the steering wheel and the wheels in steer-by-wire (SbW) vehicles. The steering angle and the steering torque are instead realised through separate actuators: a wheel actuator and a hand wheel actuator. This paper focuses on the steering feel generation in SbW vehicles and is devoted to the related design of an intelligent mechatronic system, consisting of the hand wheel actuator as hardware unit and the computation of the desired steering torque as control algorithm. The paper finds another application field in driving simulators (DSs), where the task of the steering feel generation also needs to be completed.