Vehicle stabilisation in response to exogenous impulsive disturbances to the vehicle body

Multi-event traffic crashes typically result in a higher toll than single-event crashes do. One type of multi-event crash includes the case where the initial harmful event leads to a subsequent loss of directional control. Vehicle stabilisation countermeasures in response to exogenous impulsive disturbances are addressed here. Based on a dedicated collision model, a sensing scheme is proposed to detect the crash events. The stabilisation controller, developed from the model predictive supervisory control approach and optimal control allocation, is then activated to attenuate vehicle motions. This stabilisation scenario can be deemed as a functional extension to Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems.