Robust control system design for self-standable motorcycle

Abstract

This study discusses the verification of the control system for realizing autonomous standing up from the parking mode of a novel motorcycle with a self-stabilizing mechanism, named “MOTOROiD,” and ensuring its stability on low-speed driving. MOTOROiD has a novel rotary axis that can vary the position of the total center of gravity, referred to as the active mass center control system (AMCES). In the previous study, the authors derived a mathematical model using Lagrange’s equation of motion, designed a control system for standing up from the parking mode, and ensured the motorcycle’s stability by using a two-degree-of-freedom control system based on the established model. However, the robustness of the proposed system was not fully verified. The previous study only verified the robustness of the mass variation with a numerical simulation example. Therefore, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed control system using several numerical simulations with variations in the system parameters. The simulation conditions are set by considering the characteristics of MOTOROiD in realistic situations related to a parked motorcycle. We consider three cases: (i) MOTOROiD is parked on a sloped ground, (ii) the angle of inclination at parking mode is not as assumed, and (iii) MOTOROiD is influenced by Coulomb friction. We set the simulation parameters based on these cases. Consequently, we confirm that MOTOROiD can stand up autonomously under all these conditions, thereby demonstrating the practicality of the proposed control system.

Keywords

• robust control
• optimal control
• double pendulum
• two-degree-of-freedom control
• standing up
• motorcycle