Virtual environment for developing electronic power steering and steer-by-wire systems

Describes a virtual environment for developing automotive electronic power steering (EPS) and steer-by-wire (SBW) systems. In this virtual environment, a feedback uniaxial dynamic rack force for the EPS system or a steering column feedback torque for the SBW system is applied physically to the EPS or SBW hardware by a pneumatic or electric actuator. A command signal for the actuator is generated from a virtual vehicle handling dynamics model that is simulated in real time by a very fast digital signal processor. The inputs to the real-time vehicle dynamic simulation model are steering angles driven through a steering system by a driver. By a simple force-feedback experiment it is shown that the proposed virtual environment may be used as a useful development tool for EPS and SBW systems