Mission

This research group is a part of Waterloo Center for Automotive Research (WatCAR) and its thrust is in advanced vehicle systems including smart control of vehicle dynamics, drive by wire, active suspensions/mounting systems, Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV), Multi-Disciplinary Optimization (MDO) in vehicles, and Advanced Propulsion Systems (APS). Smart control of vehicle dynamics (SCVD) are considered for passenger cars, rail vehicles, and hydraulically-actuated articulated vehicles (HAAVs) used in the forestry and construction industries. We seek new methods to combine the control of ride comfort and handling with the control of rollover and stability in passenger cars and develop accurate models for hydraulically-actuated articulated vehicles to arrive at active rollover and stability control. Our focus in drive-by-wire is on the development of new brake- and steer-by-wire systems. The reliability, efficiency, and control of these systems are under investigation. Design, optimization, and control of active and semi-active suspension and engine/body mounting systems are other major research activities in this group.  In autonomous guided vehicles, the research focus is in modeling, path planning, control designs, sensor technologies,  and navigation. Our research in advanced propulsion systems includes hybrid vehicles  and power electronic converters used to condition the output power of fuel cells for use in vehicle systems.