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Virginia Tech

Traction Control Study for a Scaled Automated Robotic Car

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This thesis presents the use of sliding mode control applied to a 1/10th scale robotic car to operate at a desired slip. Controlling the robot car at any desired slip has a direct relation to the amount of force that is applied to the driving wheels based on road surface conditions. For this model, the desired traction/slip is maintained for a specific surface which happens to be a Lego treadmill platform. How the platform evolved and the robot car was designed are also covered. To parameterize the system dynamics, simulated annealing is used to find the minimal error between mathematical simulations and physical test results. Also discussed is how the robot car and microprocessor can be modeled as a hybrid system. The results from testing the robot car at various desired percent slip show that it is possible to control the slip dynamics of a 1/10th scale automated robotic car and thus pave the way for further studies using scaled model cars to test an automated highway system.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2004

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Morton, Mark A.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Kachroo, Pushkin
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Saunders, William R.
  • Stilwell, Daniel J.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-05182004-215925
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/9946

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Morton, Mark A.. Traction Control Study for a Scaled Automated Robotic Car. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/9946