Towing vehicle control device, towing vehicle control method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium
A towing vehicle control device includes: a computation device that computes a target vehicle body speed and a target curvature of a towing vehicle from a target vehicle body speed and a target curvature of a towed vehicle configured to travel together with the towing vehicle provided with motive power, and that generates a control signal for the motive power based on the target vehicle body speed of the towing vehicle, the target curvature of the towing vehicle, and a target articulation angle, which is a target value of an articulation angle that is an angle formed between a travel direction of the towing vehicle and a travel direction of the towed vehicle and is computed based on the target curvature of the towed vehicle; and a drive control section that controls the motive power of the towing vehicle in accordance with the control signal.
1. A towing vehicle control device, comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:
compute a target vehicle body speed and a target curvature of a towing vehicle from a target vehicle body speed and a target curvature of a towed vehicle, the towed vehicle configured to travel together with the towing vehicle in a state in which the towed vehicle is coupled to the towing vehicle, which is provided with motive power, via a connection part comprising a universal coupling,
compute a target articulation angle, which is a target value of an articulation angle, the articulation angle being an angle formed between a travel direction of the towing vehicle and a travel direction of the towed vehicle, based on the target curvature of the towed vehicle,
detect a wheel speed of each wheel of the towing vehicle and detect the articulation angle,
generate a control signal for the motive power of the towing vehicle based on the target vehicle body speed of the towing vehicle, the target curvature of the towing vehicle, and the target articulation angle, the control signal including information regarding a required speed of each wheel of the towing vehicle and information regarding a required torque of each wheel of the towing vehicle, computed based on a result of feedback control to eliminate deviation between the detected wheel speed and a target wheel speed of the towing vehicle computed from the target vehicle body speed of the towing vehicle and the target curvature of the towing vehicle, and a result of feedback control to eliminate deviation between the detected articulation angle and the target articulation angle, and
control the motive power of the towing vehicle in accordance with the control signal.
2. The towing vehicle control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to compute the articulation angle from an azimuth angle of the towing vehicle detected by an inertial measurement section installed at the towing vehicle, and from an azimuth angle of the towed vehicle detected by an inertial measurement section installed at the towed vehicle.
3. The towing vehicle control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to compute the articulation angle based on either a position of the towed vehicle in image information acquired by an image capture device installed at the towing vehicle, or a position of the towing vehicle in image information acquired by an image capture device installed at the towed vehicle.
4. The towing vehicle control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to compute the target articulation angle when traveling in a state in which the towing vehicle is towing the towed vehicle.
5. The towing vehicle control device of claim 1 , wherein the towing vehicle is an autonomous driving vehicle that autonomously travels based on information regarding surroundings of the towing vehicle acquired by an image capture device.
6. The towing vehicle control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to compute the target curvature of the towed vehicle according to
K
t
=
V
T
r
-
V
T
l
T
*
V
T
,
wherein K t is the target curvature of the towed vehicle, V Tr is a detected wheel speed of a right wheel of the towing vehicle, V Tl is a detected wheel speed of a left wheel of a towing vehicle, V T is a velocity of the towing vehicle, and T is a distance between the left wheel and the right wheel of the towing vehicle.
7. The towing vehicle control device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to:
compute the target vehicle body speed of the towing vehicle according to V Tx =V tu cos φ+l 3 K t sin φ, wherein V Tx is the target vehicle body speed of the towing vehicle, φ is the detected articulation angle, V tu is the target velocity of the towed vehicle, and l 3 is a distance from the connection part to an axle of the towed vehicle, and
compute the target curvature of the towing vehicle according to
K
T
=
tan
φ
-
l
3
K
t
l
wb
(
1
+
l
3
K
t
tan
φ
)
,
wherein K T is the target curvature of the towing vehicle, and l wb is a distance from an axle of the towing vehicle to the connection part.
8. A method of controlling a towing vehicle, the method comprising:
compute a target vehicle body speed and a target curvature of a towing vehicle from a target vehicle body speed and a target curvature of a towed vehicle, the towed vehicle configured to travel together with the towing vehicle in a state in which the towed vehicle is coupled to the towing vehicle, which is provided with motive power, via a connection part comprising a universal coupling,
compute a target articulation angle, which is a target value of an articulation angle, the articulation angle being an angle formed between a travel direction of the towing vehicle and a travel direction of the towed vehicle, based on the target curvature of the towed vehicle,
detect a wheel speed of each wheel of the towing vehicle and detect the articulation angle,
generate a control signal for the motive power of the towing vehicle based on the target vehicle body speed of the towing vehicle, the target curvature of the towing vehicle, and the target articulation angle, the control signal including information regarding a required speed of each wheel of the towing vehicle and information regarding a required torque of each wheel of the towing vehicle, computed based on a result of feedback control to eliminate deviation between the detected wheel speed and a target wheel speed of the towing vehicle computed from the target vehicle body speed of the towing vehicle and the target curvature of the towing vehicle, and a result of feedback control to eliminate deviation between the detected articulation angle and the target articulation angle, and
control the motive power of the towing vehicle in accordance with the control signal.
9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a towing vehicle control program executable by a computer to function as:
a wheel speed detection section that detects a wheel speed of each wheel of a towing vehicle;
an articulation angle detection section that detects an articulation angle, the articulation angle being an angle formed between a travel direction of the towing vehicle and a travel direction of a towed vehicle;
a computation section that:
computes a target vehicle body speed and a target curvature of the towing vehicle from a target vehicle body speed and a target curvature of the towed vehicle, the towed vehicle configured to travel together with the towing vehicle in a state in which the towed vehicle is coupled to the towing vehicle, which is provided with motive power, via a connection part comprising a universal coupling,
computes a target articulation angle, which is a target value of the articulation angle based on the target curvature of the towed vehicle, and
generates a control signal for the motive power of the towing vehicle based on the target vehicle body speed of the towing vehicle, the target curvature of the towing vehicle, and the target articulation angle, the control signal including information regarding a required speed of each wheel of the towing vehicle and information regarding a required torque of each wheel of the towing vehicle, computed based on a result of feedback control to eliminate deviation between the detected wheel speed and a target wheel speed of the towing vehicle computed from the target vehicle body speed of the towing vehicle and the target curvature of the towing vehicle, and a result of feedback control to eliminate deviation between the detected articulation angle and the target articulation angle; and
a drive control section that controls the motive power of the towing vehicle in accordance with the control signal.