The Tow-Bar function implies that two commercial vehicles are electronically linked. While the first lorry is driven conventionally by a driver, the second one follows the leading vehicle automatically. This function is split into two main control tasks: the longitudinal control, or distance control, and the lateral control. The first task is provided to maintain automatically small spacing distance between two vehicles, acting to the power management through the brake and engine control; the second task consists of automatically following the trajectory traced by the leading vehicle driven conventionally, acting to an electronically commanded steering device. The necessary information is supplied by an apposite CCD sensor. Two fully equipped tow-bar demonstration vehicles, belonging to two different manufacturers, DB and IVECO, will be realised with a common architecture, with interchangeable role: each of them is able to act as leading or following vehicle as well. A radio communication system is provided too, in order to ensure the information exchanged between the two vehicles. (A)
Samenvatting