Vehicle Stability Control of Heading Angle and Lateral Deviation to Mitigate Secondary Collisions

The objective of this study is to develop a post-impact vehicle stability control system that regulates both heading angle and lateral deviation from the original driving path, so that the severity of possible subsequent (secondary) crashes can be reduced. To characterize the vehicle motion after a crash event, an impact force estimation method and a vehicle motion prediction scheme are proposed. If the predicted unmitigated final heading angle is undesirable, and/or a large lateral deviation is expected, then proper differential braking and possibly steering action will be taken to drive the vehicle motion to a desired final state. Simulations and analysis results of the proposed state estimation and prediction algorithm will be evaluated, followed by the presentation on the proposed control algorithm.