Maneuver Regulation of Nonlinear Systems:
The Challenge of Motorcycle Control

Dr. Alessandro Saccon, Università di Padova, Italy
Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione

Motorcycle manufacturers rely increasingly on simulation tools for the design of new vehicles. These tools integrate multi-body dynamics together with finite element methods and optimization  packages to compute performance limits, required forces, and component fatigue to perform desired maneuvers. The simulated  vehicles are called virtual prototypes, and the tools, virtual prototyping tools. Virtual prototyping tools can be used for  simulating standard maneuvers as dictated by international norms. The control inputs to the virtual vehicle are the same of a real  one. The controller is required to act on throttle, brakes,  clutch, gears and steering, just as a real driver would do.