Control of vehicle rollover

A method of reducing an angle of a vehicle body with respect to a road surface during a rollover, the vehicle characterized by a center of gravity and having a plurality of wheels for maintaining contact with the road surface, the method comprising:

• detecting via a sensing device mounted on the vehicle a roll moment acting on the vehicle and having a threshold magnitude;
• communicating the detected roll moment having the threshold magnitude to a controller;
• and
• triggering via the controller a roll-reduction apparatus mounted on the vehicle body to generate a moment on the vehicle body opposite to the detected roll moment having the threshold magnitude;
• wherein the roll-reduction apparatus is configured to resist an impending rollover of the vehicle via at least one of i) applying a force between the vehicle body and at least one of the plurality of wheels and ii) lowering the center of gravity of the vehicle.

A motor vehicle characterized by a center of gravity, comprising:

• a vehicle body;
• a plurality of wheels for maintaining contact with a road surface, wherein each of the plurality of wheels includes an inflatable tire mounted thereon;
• a roll-reduction apparatus configured to resist an impending rollover of the vehicle via at least one of i) applying a force between the vehicle body and at least one of the plurality of wheels and ii) lowering of the center of gravity of the vehicle;
• a sensing device configured to detect a roll moment acting on the vehicle and having a threshold magnitude;
• a controller configured to trigger the roll-reduction apparatus to generate a moment on the vehicle body opposite to the detected roll moment having the threshold magnitude such that an angle of the vehicle with respect to the road surface during the rollover is reduced;
• and
• a plurality of actuators;
• wherein:
• at least one of the plurality of actuators is mounted proximately to each wheel and the force between the body and the wheels is applied via at least one of the plurality of actuators;
• and
• the sensing device includes a sensor arranged proximately to each wheel and each sensor is configured to detect the roll moment having the threshold magnitude at the respective wheel.