The optimisation of vehicle ride and handling performance is directly linked to the vehicle’s safety and comfort characteristics. Vehicle dynamics is concerned with the vehicle’s ride and handling characterisation, i.e. the vehicle’s response to excitations from the road and the driver’s inputs, and their optimisation through passive suspension design, and active control of steering, suspension, brakes and power/drivetrain.

Key challenges include accurate characterisation of the interaction between the vehicle and the environment, mainly through tyre forces, and the performance of passive and active systems in the presence of uncertainties, e.g. changes in vehicle mass under different loading, and changes in road adhesion.

Our expertise in the field includes:

  • Control design for active chassis systems;

  • Numerical simulation and optimisation;

  • Vehicle dynamics and tyre force modelling.

Our academic staff have extensive track records of research projects funded by UK and European research councils (Innovate UK, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the European Commission projects), as well as research contracts with leading companies in the field, including AVL, Jaguar Land Rover, Lotus, MIRA and Williams.

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