Application of intelligent control in automotive vehicles

The paper describes an investigation into the use of fuzzy logic methods in the control of subsystems in automotive vehicles. Two contrasting practical problems are considered. The first concerns the nonlinear control of a suspension system in a passenger car. The second involves the management of energy in a car incorporating a hybrid electric/heat engine powertrain. The fuzzy logic approaches that have been employed in the two applications are compared and contrasted. The ´intelligence´ aspects of the two control problems are considered, in the context of both the control design process and the functionality of the control action.