Investigation of jack-knife prevention in an articulated scaled vehicle

Many active safety systems for articulated vehicles are being developed, but experimental evaluations are daunting due to the danger and costs involved. In this research, a scaled, articulated vehicle is used in the development of a jack-knife prevention control system. The dynamic similitude between the scaled vehicle and full-sized vehicle is ensured by applying a dimensional analysis based on the Buckingham Π theorem. Simulations and experimental results support the validity of the scaled, articulated vehicle. The viscous friction effect in the articulation joint is found not negligible for the scaled vehicle, and the model is modified accordingly. An existing differential braking controller reported in the literature is adopted and evaluated on the scaled vehicle, and the effectiveness of the controller in reducing the articulation angle is verified.