Vehicle steering control systems and methods

A method for providing redundant steering control to a dual path machine, the method comprising:

• detecting, at a vehicle control system, whether a machine failure has occurred;
• commanding steering, by the vehicle control system, through plants of a machine propulsion system if a machine failure is not detected;
• and
• commanding steering, by the vehicle control system, through brakes of the dual path machine if a machine failure is detected;
• wherein detecting, at the vehicle control system, whether a machine failure has occurred comprises detecting whether a brake element of the dual path machine has been actuated.

A machine comprising:

• a body;
• left and right ground contacting elements;
• left and right plants, the left and right plants configured to drive the left and right ground contacting elements, respectively;
• left and right brakes configured to apply brake forces to the left and right ground contacting elements, respectively;
• a steering element for commanding steering;
• a brake element for commanding braking;
• and
• a vehicle control system including a propulsion controller and a brake controller,
• wherein the propulsion controller is operatively connected to the left and right plants, the propulsion controller being configured to control steering of the machine through drive signals sent to the left and right plants;
• wherein the brake controller is operatively connected to the left and right brakes, the brake controller configured to control steering of the machine by providing differential brake pressures to the left and right brakes;
• wherein the vehicle control system is configured to detect actuation of the brake element, the actuation indicating a machine failure, and to switch steering control from the propulsion controller to the brake controller upon detection of the machine failure.