Time Response Simulation of the Guidance and Control System of an Automatically Steered Wire-Following Vehicle

Abstract

The purpose of the multi-mode evasive vehicle, as defined by the U.S. Army Armored Vehicle Command, is to provide an automatically steered moving platform for a target silhouette which will be used for tank gunnery evaluation. The vehicle, as well as its guidance and control systems, must be rugged enough to withstand battle conditions, rough terrain, hostile weather conditions, and the impact of dummy shells on its superstructure. The vehicle's steering and speed control are accomplished remotely by signals sent via a guide wire laid on the ground. The Army Wire-Following-Vehicle (WFV) represents new technology in the area of automatic vehicle guidance and has a host of potential applications, both military (such as a target drone) and civilian (such as underground mining and rescue as well as surface mass transit on electronic guide ways). For an high-order non-linear system, such as the WFV with its guidance and speed control subsystems, the final design must be generated and verified by non-linear time-response simulation. This paper describes the time-response simulation studies undertaken by the authors in support of the development and validation of the guidance/steering subsystem of the WFV (including the vehicular motion on some sample guided courses). Such simulation is the cheapest and quickest way to determine the design tolerances and hence, the field worthiness of the WFV. The WFV guidance system hardware design based on the continuous time-response simulation reported in this study has resulted in successful accomplishment of desired performance goals.