Autopilot system for use in a wind tunnel
AssigneeMTS Systems Corporation
InventorBradley C. Litz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A roadway system for a vehicle and a method for testing a vehicle on a roadway system are provided. The roadway system and/or method include a platform having at least one movable endless belt configured to support a vehicle. A sensor assembly is configured to provide an output signal indicative of position, displacement, velocity and/or acceleration of the vehicle on the belt with respect to at least one reference axis. An autopilot system is configured to operate a component of the vehicle to control the vehicle on the belt with respect to the reference axis based on the output signal.
Claims33
A roadway system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a platform having at least one movable endless belt configured to engage a tire and wheel assembly and support a vehicle;
- a sensor assembly configured to provide an output signal indicative of position, displacement, velocity and/or acceleration of the vehicle on the belt with respect to at least one reference axis;
- and
- an autopilot system configured to operate a steering component of a steering system of the vehicle that controls steering of the tire and wheel assembly of the vehicle or configured to operate a speed component of a speed control system of the vehicle that controls a rotational speed of the tire and wheel assembly of the vehicle.
A method for testing a vehicle in a wind tunnel having a movable endless belt, the method comprising:
- rotating the endless belt with the vehicle present;
- sensing position, displacement, velocity and/or acceleration of the vehicle on the belt with respect to at least one reference axis and providing an output signal in accordance therewith;
- receiving the output signal as an input in an autopilot system;
- and
- operating a component of the vehicle based on the output signal to control the vehicle on the belt, wherein operating comprises at least one of operating a steering system of the vehicle to obtain a desired lateral position of the vehicle on the endless belt without lateral restraint provided to the vehicle to restrain the vehicle in the desired lateral position with respect to the reference axis or operating a speed control system of the vehicle to obtain a desired longitudinal position of the vehicle on the endless belt without longitudinal restraint provided to the vehicle to restrain the vehicle in the desired longitudinal position.
A roadway system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a platform having at least one movable endless belt configured to support a vehicle;
- a sensor assembly configured to provide an output signal indicative of position, displacement, velocity and/or acceleration of the vehicle on the belt with respect to at least one reference axis;
- and
- an autopilot system configured to operate based on the output signal of at least one of operating a steering system of the vehicle to obtain a desired lateral position of the vehicle on the endless belt without lateral restraint provided to the vehicle to restrain the vehicle in the desired lateral position with respect to the reference axis or a speed control system of the vehicle to obtain a desired longitudinal position of the vehicle on the endless belt without longitudinal restraint provided to the vehicle to restrain the vehicle in the desired longitudinal position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.