Nowadays, the automotive field is undergoing a significant renewal process represented by two main trends: electric or hybrid vehicles and autonomous vehicles. On one hand, electric and hybrid vehicles (EVs) are becoming more and more relevant because of their potential ecological impact. On the other hand, a strong effort is being devoted to the development of autonomous vehicles (AVs), which could be beneficial in many terms: safety, travel behaviour and road congestion. Beyond the impact in ecological and safety terms, this process entails a strong potential from the technological perspective. As a matter of fact, the electric powertrain comes with many technological features that are not provided by a classical internal combustion engine (e.g. precise control of the torque at the wheels, regenerative braking).

Concerning AVs, the disengagement of the driver has some disruptive implications: the human-machine interface that physically links the driver to the actuators (braking, steering, traction) should be replaced by x-by-wire architectures. In addition, the driver’s feel and perception of the external environment should be replaced by a network of advanced sensors. It is evident how all these technological advancements offer a strong opportunity for enhancing traditional vehicle control systems, such as the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), traction control (TC) or Electronic Stability Control (ESC), which must be adopted also in the new generation of vehicles.

This seminar is part of the 2024 Systems and Control Ph.D. Seminar Series. Take a look at the event program for further information.