Stability Analysis Method for Off-road Vehicles

This paper presents a stability analysis method for the vehicles working on uneven rough-terrain, excavators for example, aiming to prevent their roll-over/over-turn accidents. The proposing method is twofold: computer simulations and physical scale model experiments. The developed simulator utilizes the concept of virtual ZMP (Zero Moment Point), which has been studied in the field of leg-locomotive robotics, to evaluate the vehicle stabilities. Beside the validation of the formularization framework for the simulator, the physical experiments have been conveyed towards analysis of large-scale ground deformation under the vehicles. The obtained results show both of the quantitative and qualitative dynamics similitude among the simulation and the experiment models. The directions for further development of this research will be discussed as well.