SmartCorners: Control of E-Corner of Over-Actuated Smart Electric Vehicles

17th NOVEMBER 2025 CONTROL OF E-CORNER OF OVER-ACTUATED SMART ELECTRIC VEHICLES Politecnico Di Torino*, AVL Ditest GMBH, AVL Deutschland GMBH, Marelli Suspension Systems Italy SPA, Elaphe Pogonske Tehnologije Doo, Heron Sports, Blueways International BVBA, Armengaud Innovate GMBH, Technische Universitaet Ilmenau, Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI) GGMBH, AVL List GMBH *Corresponding authors: [email protected] Project website: www.smartcorners.eu More information about SmartCorners here! The scalable SMART CORNER SYSTEM (SCS) with its in-wheel motor, chassis actuators, and vehicle motion control will enable user-centric and purpose-driven design of next-gen EVs, leading to right-sized, flexible, and energy-efficient mobility solutions. BENEFITS OF OVER-ACTUATED VEHICLES • Distribution of control efforts among multiple actuators in an optimal way through optimization routine, using also Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to heavily reduce the controller's computational cost; • Improve maneuverability and stability even under critical conditions, such as loss of traction, slippery surfaces, or asymmetric braking; • Ensure fault tolerance, since control tasks can be reassigned to other actuators in the event of a malfunction, key requirement for higher levels of automation (SAE 4-5), where human intervention is not expected. • Several objectives can be optimized simultaneously (e.g., stability and safety, passenger comfort, and energy efficiency) because the controller can select, for instance, the combination of actuators that minimizes consumption and maximizes stability. TASK OVERVIEW Passengers’ comfort and vehicle performances are affected by the amplitude of the motions associated with the degrees of freedom ( dofs) of the whole vehicle, including wheels, suspension system and cockpit that is why it becomes fundamental to “control” their magnitude . Degrees of freedom of the vehicle: o Sprung mass 𝒎𝒔: ▪Longitudinal ▪Lateral ▪Heave ▪Roll ▪Pitch ▪Yaw o Unsprung mass 𝒎𝒖𝒔: ▪Vertical displacement ACTUATORS The smart corner system is composed by the following actuators: 1. Active Suspension system 𝑭𝒅 2. In-wheel motors 3. Camber angle 𝜸 4. Toe angle 𝜹 5. Halftrack-width variation 𝚫𝒃 Redundant actuators: more actuators than those strictly required to control the main dofs. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the GA No. 101138110. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES Development of path tracking (PT) algorithms to exploit the benefits of over -actuated system applied to autonomous vehicle. Benefits and applications: • The controlled actuators (e.g., rear toe angle control, torque vectoring control) allow to better follow the reference trajectory with respect to the baseline PT control (only front toe angle) • Integration of PT algorithms with road-sensor data enabling more sophisticated and real-time motion planning strategies. 1. IWM 2. GPS/IMU 3. dSpace MicroAutobox III 4. Optical sensor 5. Steering actuator 𝒎𝒖𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒔 𝒎𝒔 How do the redundant actuators enhance vehicle performance and ride comfort? 𝑚𝑠 𝑚𝑢𝑠 z 𝑭𝒅