Identification of operational limitations of an autonomous vehicle based on dynamic simulation

Autonomous vehicles are operated in terrains that are difficult for humans to access. It is essential to understand the dynamic characteristics of vehicles. In particular, it is necessary to understand the vehicle’s limiting conditions by driving in excessive conditions. It is also possible to understand the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle and define operational limitations by operating the actual hardware. However, using the actual hardware imposes many constraints on testing, as well as requires significant costs and time. To reduce these risks, in this study, a vehicle model was constructed based on multibody dynamics, and the reliability of vehicle model was validated by comparing the driving test with the simulation results. Using a reliable vehicle model, simulations were conducted under various operating conditions to identify the vehicle’s limitations. Through the results of this study, the identified constraint can be utilized as a database to establish operational limitations for autonomous vehicles.