Automotive Research Center

Automotive Research Center
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● Dynamics and Control of
NEWS & EVENTS
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Vehicles
● RESEARCH ❍ Vehicle Mass
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Estimation
Dynamics and Control of Vehicles

❍ VEHSim - Internet-
The goal of this Thrust Area is the development of fundamental control and design tools to enhance the safety and
Distributed
performance of ground vehicles through modeling and computer simulation. This focus is partitioned into 1)
❍ Terrain
modeling tool development for efficient, accurate robust control and design and 2) control system design. The
Characterization
techniques are applied to vehicle handling, steering, ride mobility, inter- or shared operability, remote piloting,
❍ Tire Energy
active vehicle safety, power management control of hybrid systems including fuel cells.
Efficiency
The motivation for the first focus area, modeling tool development, is that the modeling and simulation process
❍ Mass & CG Height
remains a greatly under-utilized tool for vehicle system design and control. This is because models are time
Estimation
consuming to develop, expensive to parameterize (statistically or otherwise), time consuming to solve (especially in
❍ Electro-Thermal
optimal design scenarios), often difficult to integrate with models developed by others, difficult to quantify their
Battery Dynamics
accuracy and range of validity, and finally difficult to properly document. The motivation for the second focus area,
❍ Terrain Models
control system design, is the development of performance enhancing and safety enhancing systems with innovative
Implications on
control algorithms. These can only be developed if the models are first available (first focus area) and if suitable
Reliability
control synthesis techniques are developed. Hence, our goal is to create control system algorithms that can be
❍ Analysis of TC SOFC
efficiently and effective used by vehicles designers for improving vehicle performance.
Engines
Thrust Area Leader : Prof. Jeffrey L. Stein, stein@umich.edu

● Human Centered Modeling &
TARDEC Leader :Dr. Paramsothy "Jay" Jayakumar, paramsothy.jayakumar@us.army.mil
Simulation
● High Performance Structures ● Optimal Sensor Package Selection for Off-Road Vehicle Mass Estimation
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● VEHSim: An Integrated Vehicle, Engine, and Human Driver Simulation Platform

and Materials
- Extension to Internet-Distributed HIL Simulation

● Advanced and Hybrid
● Stochastic Approach to Terrain Characterization

Powertrains
● Energy Efficiency Study of Tires in Off-Road Conditions

● Vehicle System Integration,
● Estimation Techniques for Mass and CG Height of Military Vehicles
Optimization, and Robustness
● Measuring, Modeling and Controlling Electro-Thermal Battery Dynamics
● Implication of Terrain Topology Models on Ground Vehicle Reliability
● Analysis and Hardware Simulation of Turbocharged SOFC Engines
Sponsored by U.S. Army TARDEC-NAC Contact Us

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& EVENTSand Control of
● RESEARCH
Vehicles
● CONTACT
❍ Vehicle Mass
Estimation
Optimal Sensor Package Selection for Off-Road Vehicle Mass Estimation
Distributed Principal Jeffrey L. Stein, University of Michigan, stein@umich.edu
Investigators: Hosam K. Fathy, University of Michigan, hfathy@umich.edu

❍ Terrain
Quad Members
Characterization
Faculty: Jeffrey L. Stein, Hosam K. Fathy, University of Michigan

❍ Tire Energy
Student: Benjamin L. Pence, University of Michigan

Efficiency
Government: David Gunter, U.S. Army RDECOM-TARDEC

Industry: Gary Witus, Turing Associates, Inc.

Estimation
❍ Electro-ThermalThis project is motivated by the critical need for protecting
Battery Dynamics
soldiers’ lives from accidents such as rollovers. Active and
❍ Terrain Models semi-active vehicle safety systems have been shown to
Implications onsignificantly lessen the likelihood of such life-threatening
Reliability accidents, but they must be correctly calibrated. Such
systems can also improve drivetrain control and handling

by scheduling gear shifts and fuel injection, and controlling braking actuation.
Engines
●
The
Human Centered Modeling & goal of this project is to estimate the mass of an off-road vehicle online in real time, use low cost sensors, and
Simulation to quantify the confidence in the estimate. develop an accurate and fast real-time online mass estimator for off-
road vehicles. We will perform experimental validation of our method on real vehicles and extend the application to
● High Performance Structures
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estimating other vehicle inertial properties.

and Materials
● Advanced and Hybrid Publications:
Powertrains
● B.L. Pence, H.K. Fathy, J.L. Stein, (2009), “Sprung Mass Estimation for Off-Road Vehicles via Base-
Excitation Suspension Dynamics and Recursive Least Squares”, Proc. of American Control Conference, June,
2009
● B.L. Pence, H.K. Fathy, J.L. Stein, (2009), “A Base -Excitation Approach to Polynomial Chaos-Based
Estimation of Sprung Mass for Off-Road Vehicles”, Proc. of the Dynamic Systems and Control Conference,
Oct., 2009

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Vehicles
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❍ Vehicle Mass
VEHSim: An Integrated Vehicle, Engine, and Human Driver Simulation Platform:
Estimation Extension to Internet-Distributed HIL Simulation
Distributed Principal Investigator: Hosam K. Fathy, University of Michigan, hfathy@umich.edu
Terrain
Quad Members
❍
Characterization
Faculty: Hosam K. Fathy, Zoran Filipi, Brent Gillespie, Jeffrey Stein,
❍ Tire Energy University of Michigan
Efficiency
Student: Tulga Ersal, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, University of
❍ Mass & CG Height Michigan
Estimation Government: Mark Brudnak, U.S. Army RDECOM-TARDEC
❍ Electro-ThermalIndustry: Marcella Haghgooie, Applied Dynamics International, Inc.
Battery Dynamics
This project is motivated by the potential of Internet-distributed
❍ Terrain Models
hardware-in-the-loop simulation (ID-HIL) as a key enabler for
Implications on
geographically-dispersed concurrent systems engineering, as well as
Reliability
pushing the limits of high-fidelity rapid prototyping and creating novel
subsystem evaluation/procurement tools.
Engines
We have successfully integrated the driver-in-the-loop ride motion simulator of TARDEC with the engine-in-the-loop
simulator at the University of Michigan as the demonstrator for ID-HIL. This has been used to demonstrate an
Simulation
observer-free solution that avoids the need for mathematical models of the hardware components and establish the

transparency of the internet distributed setup. Our work now is to implement the ID-HIL simulation for other
and Materials
configurations and methods to improve transparency.

Powertrains Publications:

● Ersal, T., Brudnak, M., Stein, J. L., and Fathy, H. K., 2009, "Variation-Based Transparency Analysis of an
Internet-Distributed Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation Platform for Vehicle Powertrain Systems", Proceedings
of ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference, Hollywood, California, October 12-14, 2009, ASME.
● Ersal, T., Brudnak, M., Salvi, A., Stein, J. L., Filipi, Z., and Fathy, H. K., 2009, "Development of an Internet-
Distributed Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation Platform for an Automotive Application", Proceedings of ASME
Dynamic Systems and Control Conference, Hollywood, California, October 12-14, 2009, ASME.

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Vehicles
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❍ Vehicle Mass
Stochastic Approach to Terrain Characterization
Estimation
Principal T.C.Sun, Wayne State University, tsun@math.wayne.edu

Investigators:
Distributed
Quad Members
❍ Terrain
Characterization
Faculty: T.C.Sun , Milton Chaika, Kussiy Alyass, Wayne State University
❍ Tire Energy Efficiency
Student: Shanshan Qiu, Wayne State University

Government: David Gorsich, U.S. Army RDECOM-TARDEC
Estimation
Industry: Richard Devries, Victor Borowski, General Dynamics Land

❍ Electro-Thermal
Systems
Battery Dynamics
In the designing or testing of a vehicle or a fleet of vehicles, knowledge of the structural loads is essential to
❍ Terrain Models
determine durability and reliability. Evaluating these loads require the input of terrain models. The Army, as well as
Implications on
industry, needs models of terrain profiles of the highest fidelity in evaluating designs and in planning tests for future
Reliability
vehicle systems. The Army will also need the input from these simulated terrain profiles for lab testing of vehicles.
A better definition of the roughness of a test track will improve and set a standard for the testing of new vehicles.
Engines
Therefore, our research seeks to produce those terrain profile models and their simulations, and with the help of the

terrain profile models, find a better definition of the roughness of a test track.
Simulation
We will develop statistical methods of characterizing terrain topography, and bring modern time series methods into
the modeling of vehicle dynamics and actual road scenery, and into the lab testing of vehicles. This project will also
and Materials

develop correlation and validation methods that relate the terrain topography to the damage that a vehicle incurs
while traveling over that terrain.
Powertrains
● Publications:
Vehicle System Integration,

● Chaika, M., Gorsich, D. and Sun, T. C., Some statistical tests in the study of terrain modeling, Int. J. Vehicle
Design, 36, (2004), 132-148.
● Sun, T. C., Gorsich, D., Chaika, M., Alyass, K., Wei, Jinfeng and Ferris, J., Time series modeling of terrain
profiles, SAE 2005 Transactions, Journal of Commercial Vehicles}, pp.221-227.

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❍ Vehicle Mass
Energy Efficiency Study of Tires in Off-Road Conditions
Estimation
Principal Investigator: Corina Sandu, Virginia Tech, csandu@vt.edu

Quad Members
Distributed
Faculty: Corina Sandu, Virginia Tech

❍ Terrain
Student: Carmine Senatore, PhD candidate, Virginia Tech

Characterization
❍ Tire Energy
Government: Alexander A. Reid, U.S. Army RDECOM-TARDEC
Efficiency
Industry: Timothy Rooney, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Estimation
Performance prediction for wheeled vehicles
❍ Electro-Thermaldepends on accurate estimations of the forces
Battery Dynamics
developed at the tire-terrain interface. These
❍ Terrain Models forces are responsible for the vehicle mobility,
Implications ontraction and steering performance, handling
Reliability behavior, and ride quality. A strong motivation
for this study was given by the fact that a substantial loss of the power transmitted through the driveline happens
at the tire, as illustrated in figure.

Engines
● The
Human Centered Modeling & long term goal is to realistically and efficiently simulate the vehicle dynamics of military and commercial
Simulation vehicles in off-road operating conditions, specifically to address critical issues related to energy efficiency of the tire
from the tire-operating environment interaction perspective. The study aims to simulate realistic military cycles and

road conditions, and assess the fuel efficiency of wheeled vehicles under such conditions.
and Materials
● Advanced and Hybrid The outcomes of this research are general tools and methodologies with direct impact on the modeling of terrain
Powertrains profile, soil characteristics, tire-soil interaction, off-road vehicle dynamics and mobility, and they will support the US
● Army in evaluating the performance of its off-road vehicles from the mobility and energy efficiency point of view.
Vehicle System Integration,

Publications:
● Lee, R. and Sandu, C. – “Integrated Terrain Topology and Soil Properties Simulation Environment”, Paper
no. P-16, 14 pg, Proc. of the 11th European Regional Conference of ISTVS, Oct. 5-8, 2009, Bremen,
Germany.
● Senatore, C. and Sandu, C. – “Exit Angle Influence on Energy Efficiency of Off-Road Tires”, Paper no. P-15,
13 pg, Proc. of the 11th European Regional Conference of ISTVS, Oct. 5-8, 2009, Bremen, Germany.
● Lee, R. and Sandu, C. – “Terrain Profile Modeling using Stochastic Partial Differential Equations”, Paper no.
IJVSMT-7921, Int. J. of Vehicle Systems Modeling and Testing, Special Issue on “Terrain Topology:
Measurement, Analysis, and Applications”, in print, Sept. 2009.

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Vehicles
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❍ Vehicle Mass
Estimation Techniques for Mass and CG Height of Military Vehicles
Estimation
Principal Investigator: Corina Sandu, Virginia Tech, csandu@vt.edu

Quad Members
Distributed
Faculty: Corina Sandu, Virginia Tech

❍ Terrain
Student: Joseph Hays, PhD student, Virginia Tech

Characterization
Government: David Gunter, U.S. Army RDECOM-TARDEC

❍ Tire Energy
Industry: Gary Witus, Founder & President, Turing Associates

Efficiency

Estimation Parameter estimation is an important problem,
❍ Electro-Thermal because in many instances parameters of interest
Battery Dynamics cannot be physically measured, or they cannot be
❍ Terrain Models measured with sufficient accuracy, especially in real
Implications on time applications. Rather, parameter values must be
Reliability inferred from available measurements of different
aspects of the system response. Various approaches to

parameter estimations are discussed in the literature.

Engines
These include energy methods, frequency domain methods, and set inversion via interval analysis (SIVIA) with
Taylor expansions. Estimating the vehicle mass and the center of gravity (CG) of the vehicle represent particular
Simulation
case studies of parameter estimation.

The first part of our project will consist of complimentary/supporting tasks to the efforts at University of Michigan
and Materials
aiming at finalizing the mass estimation technique (development, testing, and validation). Due to its very high
relevance for assessing vehicle rollover, the second part of the project will focus on setting the foundation of the
Powertrains
study for estimating the CG height of a military vehicle in off-road conditions. The long term goal is to estimate in
real-time the mass of the vehicle and the CG location of the vehicle.
Publications:
● Blanchard*, E., Sandu, A., and Sandu, C. – “Polynomial Chaos-Based Parameter Estimation Methods Applied
to Vehicle System”, Proc. of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Part K: J. of Multi-body
Dynamics, Vol. 223, Paper JMBD204, DOI: 10.1243/14644193JMBD204, pp. 1-24 (24), June 24, 2009.
● Blanchard*, E., Sandu, A., and Sandu, C. – “Parameter Estimation for Mechanical Systems via an Explicit
Representation of Uncertainty”, Engineering Computations. Int. J. for Computer-Aided Engineering and
Software, Paper no. EC116060, Vol. 26, Issue 5, pp. 541-569, Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0264-
4401, DOI 10.1108/02644400910970185, Feb. 2009.
● Blanchard*, E., Sandu, C., and Sandu, A. – “Comparison between a Polynomial-Chaos-based Bayesian
Approach and a Polynomial-Chaos-based EKF Approach for Parameter Estimation with Applications to Vehicle
Dynamics”, Paper no. DETC2009-86402, 12 pg, Proc. of ASME IDETC, 11th Int. Conf. on AVTT, Aug. 30-
Sept. 2, 2009, San Diego, CA. This paper received 2009 ASME VDC AVTT Conference Best Paper Award.

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❍ Vehicle Mass
Measuring, Modeling and Controlling Electro-Thermal Battery Dynamics
Estimation
Principal Anna Stefanopoulou, University of Michigan, annastef@umich.

Investigators: edu
Distributed
Levi Thompson, University of Michigan, ltt@umich.edu
❍ Terrain
Quad Members
Characterization
Faculty: Anna Stefanopoulou, Levi Thompson, University of Michigan
❍ Tire Energy
Government: Sonya Zanardelli, Energy Storage Team Leader TARDEC, GVPM
Efficiency
David Gorsich,, Chief Scientist, U.S. Army TARDEC
Industry: Dyche Anderson, Ford Motor Company
Estimation
❍
Advances in the design and control of electrochemical energy devices depend on experimentally validated models of
Electro-Thermal
Battery Dynamics
the spatiotemporal behavior of these devices. Neutron radiography offers unique opportunities for measuring
❍ Terrain Models
lithium (Li) concentration in Li-air battery cells. Parameterization and validation of mathematical models of Li-ion
Implications on
cells at various temperatures is necessary for accurate State of Charge Estimation, Diagnostics and Prognostics, and
Reliability
Battery Thermal and Power Management. Addressing the durability and safety issues associated with Li-ion
batteries requires the full characterization of the temperature-dependent reactions during overcharging and over
Engines
discharging conditions and analyzing the complex spatially distributed nonlinear phenomena during the thermal

instabilities and run-aways.
Simulation
It is possible to measure in-situ spatiotemporal concentrations of Li


in Li-air batteries. These measurements will be used to calibrate
and Materials
and validate control-oriented physical models for the prediction of

the spatiotemporal patterns and their impact on performance and
Powertrains
degradation. The technological breakthrough from the availability of validated models will make a substantial impact
to the hybrid system level sizing and power management for an ultra-light far-reaching portable power source. The
proposed effort fills the critical gap of experimental verification and availability of in-situ Li concentration data in the
area of Li-air batteries. Our goal is to measure, tune and validate the evolution of the spatially-resolved solid
concentration in the two electrodes of the new battery cells under various controlled temperature conditions and
charge/discharge rates using high-resolution neutron radiography. The critical values for the state of charge
estimation are associated to the lowest concentration for the ion-production electrode and the highest value for the
ion-insertion electrode. The prediction of the critical values is important to ensure safe operation and high utilization
in a portable application.
Publications:
● “Correlating Nitrogen Accumulation with Temporal Fuel Cell Performance,” E. A. Muller, F. Kolb, L. Guzzella,
A. G. Stefanopoulou, D, A. McKay to appear in ASME J Fuel Cell Science and Technology.
● “A Dynamic Semi-Analytic Channel-to-Channel Model of Two-Phase Water Distribution for Estimation and
Control of Fuel Cells,” B.A. McCain, A.G. Stefanopoulou and I.V. Kolmanovsky, in IEEE Transactions Control
System Technology, vol 17, number 5, pp 1043-1055.
● “Measurement of Liquid Water Accumulation in a PEMFC with Dead-Ended Anode,” J. B. Siegel, D. A. McKay,
A. G. Stefanopoulou, D. S. Hussey, and D. L. Jacobson, J. Electrochemical Society, (155)11 pp. B1168
(2008).
● Carmelo Speltino, Domenico Di Domenico, Giovanni Fiengo, and Anna G. Stefanopoulou. Cell equalization in
battery stacks through state of charge estimation polling. In American Control Conference, 2010.

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❍ Vehicle Mass
Implication of Terrain Topology Models on Ground Vehicle Reliability
Estimation
Principal Investigator: John B. Ferris, Virginia Tech, jbferris@vt.edu

Quad Members
Distributed
Faculty: John B. Ferris, Virginia Tech

❍ Terrain
Student: Ma Rui, Heather Chemistruck, Sujay Kawale, Virginia Tech

Characterization
Government: Alexander A. Reid, U.S. Army RDECOM-TARDEC

❍ Tire Energy
Industry: Erric Tseng, Ford Motor Company

Efficiency

This project supports U.S. Army RDECOM-TARDEC's efforts to develop mathematical models that appropriately
Estimation characterize terrain topology for different applications. These models will improve the simulation capability for
❍ Electro-Thermalground vehicle dynamics, durability, reliability and mobility assurance.
Battery Dynamics
Our researchers will determine how the selection of the mathematical model of terrain, along with the
❍ Terrain Models
Implications onparameterization of these models, affects the ground vehicle responses and resulting reliability.
Reliability
Publications:
Engines
● 1. Ferris, J.B., 2004, “Characterizing Road Profiles as Markov Chains,” IJVD, Special Edition on Road Profiles:
Measurement, Analysis, and Applications, Vol. 36, No. 2/3.

Simulation
and Materials
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Powertrains
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❍ Vehicle Mass
Analysis and Hardware Simulation of Turbocharged SOFC Engines
Estimation
Principal Investigator: Jing Sun, University of Michigan, jingsun@umich.edu

Quad Members
Distributed
Faculty: Jing Sun, Soryeok Oh, University of Michigan

❍ Terrain
Government: Herb Dobbs (Point of Contact), Joel King, U.S. Army RDECOM-
Characterization
TARDEC
❍ Tire Energy
Industry: Owen Taylor, Pittsburgh Electrical Engine Inc.
Efficiency
❍ SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) systems operating with reformed JP-8 fuel have many advantages over conventional
Mass & CG Height
Estimation power generation systems. Turbo-charging the SOFC engine is a natural and effective way to further enhance the
efficiency of SOFC systems by harvesting the high energy content in the exhaust gas. It has been shown that
❍ Electro-Thermal
combining gas turbine with SOFC fuel cells can boost the over-all system efficiency for up to 10-15%, especially for
Battery Dynamics
stationary operations. For mobile applications, however, a set of challenges exist in managing transient operations.
❍ Terrain Models
For the combined SOFC/GT (gas turbine) system with a turbine driven compressor, the analysis has shown that
Implications on
rapid load following can lead to system shutdown due to the close coupling between the SOFC and turbine and to
Reliability
the reliance of the air delivery system on the turbine operation.
❍ Analysis of TC
SOFC Engines
The primary goal of this project is to develop enabling control technologies and toolsets for integrating the turbo-
charged SOFC engines as APU systems into military vehicles. To complement and support the analysis activities, a
Simulation
hardware simulation test-bed for a 5kW class combined SOFC/GT cycle system will be developed to provide a cost
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effective, yet flexible and capable research tool. The research effort aims to achieve the following objectives:
and Materials
● Advanced and Hybrid ● Development of dynamic simulation models for the turbo-charged SOFC engines with three different
Powertrains configurations in the compressor driving mechanism: single shaft, motor driven, and twin shaft.
● Identification of dynamic characteristics and operating constraints of different turbocharged SOFC engine
systems, and the evaluation of the trade-off between performance gain and system complexity.
● Development of control strategies for power and thermal management of the turbocharged SOFC engine
systems.
● Development of a hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) bench incorporating an electric furnace as the
SOFC emulator and real hardware for the turbine.
Publications:
● So-ryeok Oh, Jing Sun, “Optimization and Load-Following Characteristics of 5kW-Class Tubular Solid Oxide
Fuel Cell/Gas Turbine Hybrid Systems,” American Control Conference, Accepted, Baltimore, 2010.
● Jian Chen, Jing Sun, “Modeling and Control of SOFC APU,” Proceedings of the joint 47th IEEE Conference on
Decision and Control and 27th Chinese Control Conference, Shanghai, China, December, 2009.
● Vasilis Tourapas, Jing Sun, Ann Stefanopoulou, “Incremental Step Reference Governor for Load Conditioning
of Hybrid Fuel Cell and Gas Turbine Power Plant,” IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, Vol.
17, No. 4, pp 756-767, July, 2009.
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● Human Centered
Modeling & Simulation
Human Centered Modeling and Simulation
❍ Seated In-
The cost and time spent on vehicle design and engineering is highly correlated with the number of hardware
vehicle Reach
prototype evaluations and redesign cycles needed to produce a final design. Many of these prototype design
❍ Virtual Driver
evaluations are necessary because human population attributes are not well understood or considered early in the
❍ Sensory
design process. This Thrust Area performs a variety of research and development activities necessary to predict the
Integration
responses of specified populations of people when operating and maintaining new vehicles concepts. The software
● High Performance resulting from this research will interface with other ARC hardware systems simulations to enable a comprehensive
Structures and Materials human-hardware system simulation capability.

The development of such a virtual human-vehicle simulation capability could greatly reduce the cost and time to
Powertrains
design new and effective vehicles for both military and commercial markets, and provides a means of
● Vehicle System
complementing the use of virtual environments to enhance human centered design capabilities.
Integration,
Thrust Area Leader : Dr. Matthew Reed, mreed@umich.edu

Optimization, and
TARDEC Thrust Area Leader : Harry Zywiol, harry.zywiol@us.army.mil

Robustness
● Simulating Human Reaching for Vehicle Design: A Study in Ride Motion Effects on Seated In-Vehicle Reach
Performance
● Modeling the Use of In-vehicle Information and Active Warnings in Vehicle Convoys Using the Virtual Driver
● Sensory Integration in Simulated and Remote Piloting of Vehicle


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Vehicles
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● Human Centered
Simulating Human Reaching for Vehicle Design: A Study in Ride Motion Effects on
Modeling & Simulation Seated In-Vehicle Reach Performance
❍ Seated In-
vehicle Reach Principal Bernard J. Martin, University of Michigan, martinbj@umich.edu
❍ Virtual Driver Investigators:
❍ Sensory Quad Members
Integration Faculty: Bernard J. Martin, University of Michigan
● High Performance
Student: Heon-Jeong Kim, University of Michigan
Structures and Materials Government: Harry Zywiol, Victor Paul, U.S. Army RDECOM-TARDEC
Industry: Lenora Hardee, International Truck & Engine Corp.

R. Wade Allen, Systems Technology, Inc.

Powertrains
● Vehicle System The study is a continuation of ongoing research investigating the
Integration, effects of a dynamic ride environment on the performance of
Optimization, and seated in-vehicle reaching tasks. Occupants of off-road vehicles,
Robustness common in military applications, are regularly exposed to whole-
body vibration (WBV) that impairs their ability to quickly and
accurately perform in-vehicle tasks while the vehicle is in motion. This research will characterize and quantify the
nature of this performance degradation, while aiding the development of dynamic models as well as design
standards and strategies for reducing WBV-related errors in performance. Our research will enable these errors to
be mitigated through improved design of controls, displays, vehicle suspension, and seating systems.

The U.S. Army is immersed in the design and evaluation of vehicle workstations and the results from this study will
provide essential information about the extent to which terrain-induced ride motion adversely affects vehicle
occupants’ ability to quickly and accurately complete reaching tasks. The simulation models based on this research
will enable the U.S. Army and commercial vehicle industries, to evaluate current and future vehicle designs of
controls and displays, as well as seating and suspensions systems. This knowledge will enable designers to test and
evaluate designs that mitigate effects of vibration before spending limited capital towards the completed vehicle
design.
Publications:
● Heon-Jeong Kim, Bernard J Martin, "Effects of Posture and Movement on Vibration Transmissibility Affecting
Human Reach Performance under Vehicle Vibration", Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 53rd Annual
Meeting, 19-23 October 2009.
● Heon-Jeong Kim, Bernard J Martin, "Three-Dimensional Joint Kinematics of the Upper Extremity in Reach
Movements under Whole-Body Vibration Exposure", Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 52nd Annual
Meeting, 22-26 September 2008.
● Heon-Jeong Kim, Bernard J Martin, "Vibration Transmissibility of Multi-Body Segments in Reach Movements
under Whole-Body Vibration Exposure", North American Congress on Biomechanics, 5-9 August 2008.
● Heon-Jeong Kim, Bernard J Martin, "Three-Dimensional Reach Kinematics of the Upper Extremity in a
Dynamic Vehicle Environment", Technical Paper 2008-01-1886. Digital Human Modeling for Design and
Engineering Conference, 17-19 June 2008.

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Vehicles
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● Human Centered
Modeling the Use of In-vehicle Information and Active Warnings in Vehicle Convoys
Modeling & Simulation Using the Virtual Driver
Seated In-
❍
Principal Matthew Reed, University of Michigan, mreed@umich.edu
vehicle Reach Investigators:
Virtual Driver
❍
Quad Members
❍ Sensory
Faculty: Matthew Reed, University of Michigan
Integration
Student: Helen Fuller, University of Michigan
Government: Harry Zywiol, U.S. RDECOM-TARDEC
Structures and Materials
John Lockett, U.S. Army Research Lab.
● Advanced and Hybrid Industry: Lenora Hardee, International Truck & Engine Corp.
Powertrains
Our objective is to apply and extend the Virtual Driver modeling approach to perform a safety analysis of cognitive
● Vehicle System
and physical aspects of driving with new technologies.
Integration,
Optimization, and The new integrated model provides the ability to evaluate the
Robustness combined effects of cognitive and physical features of vehicle
interior designs on driver performance and workload. The project
will result in advancements in the driver model capabilities and the
development of stochastic assessment protocols for information
systems intended for use during convoy operations. The result can
feed into efforts to understand driver workload and make predictions about the safety of new task configurations. In

addition to ARC support, both the Army and industry have funded the development of the physical simulation tools
that are part of the Virtual Driver. The Army has also supported the establishment of a linkage been the Queuing
Network – Model Human Processor (QN-MHP - the cognitive component of the Virtual Driver) and IMPRINT, the U.S.
Army’s primary human task analysis tool. These connections and leverage will increase the availability of the
research results within the Army and industry.
Publications:
● Fuller, H. J., Tsimhoni, O., & Reed, M. P. (2008). Effect of in-vehicle touch screen position on driver
performance. Proceedings of the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. New
York City.
● Tsimhoni, O., & Reed, M. P. (2007). The Virtual Driver: Integrating Task Planning and Cognitive Simulation
with Human Movement Models. SAE Technical Paper Series No. 2007-01-1766. Warrendale, PA.

HOME PAGE
Research
●
● ABOUT ARC
● NEWS
● Dynamics
● RESEARCH
Vehicles
● CONTACT
● Human Centered
Sensory Integration in Simulated and Remote Piloting of Vehicle
Modeling & Simulation
Principal Brent Gillespie, University of Michigan, brentg@umich.edu

❍ Seated In-
Investigators:
vehicle Reach
Quad Members
❍ Virtual Driver
Faculty: Brent Gillespie, University of Michigan
❍ Sensory
Integration
Student: Kevin Rider, University of Michigan
Government: Harry Zywiol, U.S. RDECOM-TARDEC
Structures and Materials
Kaleb McDowell, U.S. Army Research Lab.
Industry: Micah Steele, John Deere Corp.
Powertrains
Our objective is to determine the features in a vehicle’s driver interface that are most critical to the development of
● Vehicle System
“overlearned” driving skill, or sensory-motor behavior that has become so automatic that secondary tasks can be
Integration,
undertaken without degrading driving performance. We will determine the relative contribution of visual, haptic, and
Optimization, and
ride-motion cues to driving skill using a dual task experimental paradigm. We will validate models of sensory
Robustness
integration and open and closed-loop motor behavior operating under limited cognitive resources. Applications for
the model include remote piloting of vehicles in addition to traditional driving during conditions of supplemental
cognitive and decision-making loads.
A new driver model that incorporates sensory integration will quantify the relative value of multiple sensory
channels to driving performance under single and dual motor/cognitive task demands. This will have direct

application to remote piloting of unmanned vehicles using visual feedback from on-board cameras without haptic or
ride motion feedback. The impact of the missing information display channels will be assessed and sensory
substitution will be explored. The results of this work will couple with development and testing of the ARC-supported
Virtual Driver that integrates cognitive and physical modeling.

Automotive Research Center

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Automotive Research Center

Dynamics and Control of Vehicles

Thrust Area Leader : Prof. Jeffrey L. Stein, stein@umich.edu

http://arc.engin.umich.edu/rsrch/rsrch1.html (1 of 2) [3/19/2010 8:37:46 PM]

● VEHSim: An Integrated Vehicle, Engine, and Human Driver Simulation Platform

- Extension to Internet-Distributed HIL Simulation

● Stochastic Approach to Terrain Characterization

● Energy Efficiency Study of Tires in Off-Road Conditions

● Implication of Terrain Topology Models on Ground Vehicle Reliability

● Analysis and Hardware Simulation of Turbocharged SOFC Engines

Sponsored by U.S. Army TARDEC-NAC Contact Us

http://arc.engin.umich.edu/rsrch/rsrch1.html (2 of 2) [3/19/2010 8:37:46 PM]

Distributed Principal Jeffrey L. Stein, University of Michigan, stein@umich.edu

Investigators: Hosam K. Fathy, University of Michigan, hfathy@umich.edu

Faculty: Jeffrey L. Stein, Hosam K. Fathy, University of Michigan

Student: Benjamin L. Pence, University of Michigan

Government: David Gunter, U.S. Army RDECOM-TARDEC

Industry: Gary Witus, Turing Associates, Inc.

❍ Electro-ThermalThis project is motivated by the critical need for protecting

❍ Terrain Models semi-active vehicle safety systems have been shown to

Implications onsignificantly lessen the likelihood of such life-threatening

Reliability accidents, but they must be correctly calibrated. Such

systems can also improve drivetrain control and handling

http://arc.engin.umich.edu/rsrch/rsrch1_1.html (1 of 2) [3/19/2010 8:38:06 PM]

estimating other vehicle inertial properties.

● Advanced and Hybrid Publications:

Sponsored by U.S. Army TARDEC-NAC Contact Us

http://arc.engin.umich.edu/rsrch/rsrch1_1.html (2 of 2) [3/19/2010 8:38:06 PM]

❍ Tire Energy University of Michigan

❍ Mass & CG Height Michigan

Estimation Government: Mark Brudnak, U.S. Army RDECOM-TARDEC

❍ Electro-ThermalIndustry: Marcella Haghgooie, Applied Dynamics International, Inc.

http://arc.engin.umich.edu/rsrch/rsrch1_2.html (1 of 2) [3/19/2010 8:38:18 PM]

configurations and methods to improve transparency.

● Vehicle System Integration,

Distributed Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation Platform for an Automotive Application", Proceedings of ASME

Sponsored by U.S. Army TARDEC-NAC Contact Us

http://arc.engin.umich.edu/rsrch/rsrch1_2.html (2 of 2) [3/19/2010 8:38:18 PM]

Principal T.C.Sun, Wayne State University, tsun@math.wayne.edu

Student: Shanshan Qiu, Wayne State University

Industry: Richard Devries, Victor Borowski, General Dynamics Land

● Human Centered Modeling &

http://arc.engin.umich.edu/rsrch/rsrch1_3.html (1 of 2) [3/19/2010 8:38:29 PM]

Optimization, and Robustness

Design, 36, (2004), 132-148.

profiles, SAE 2005 Transactions, Journal of Commercial Vehicles}, pp.221-227.

Sponsored by U.S. Army TARDEC-NAC Contact Us

http://arc.engin.umich.edu/rsrch/rsrch1_3.html (2 of 2) [3/19/2010 8:38:29 PM]

Principal Investigator: Corina Sandu, Virginia Tech, csandu@vt.edu

Faculty: Corina Sandu, Virginia Tech

Student: Carmine Senatore, PhD candidate, Virginia Tech

❍ Electro-Thermaldepends on accurate estimations of the forces

❍ Terrain Models forces are responsible for the vehicle mobility,

Implications ontraction and steering performance, handling

Reliability behavior, and ride quality. A strong motivation

at the tire, as illustrated in figure.

http://arc.engin.umich.edu/rsrch/rsrch1_4.html (1 of 2) [3/19/2010 8:38:42 PM]

Optimization, and Robustness

Measurement, Analysis, and Applications”, in print, Sept. 2009.

Sponsored by U.S. Army TARDEC-NAC Contact Us

http://arc.engin.umich.edu/rsrch/rsrch1_4.html (2 of 2) [3/19/2010 8:38:42 PM]

Principal Investigator: Corina Sandu, Virginia Tech, csandu@vt.edu

Faculty: Corina Sandu, Virginia Tech