Power steering control for compensating bicycle dynamics variation due to front basket loading
摘要
In this study, we focus on the realization of a power steering control that recovers the maneuverability of the bicycle which is deteriorated due to loading baggage in the front basket, by assisting the handlebar operation. According to the analysis of the effect of loading children and baggage in the front basket on maneuverability, it is found that the cause is an increase in the moment of inertia around the handlebar axis and a change in the position of the center of gravity. To solve the issue, previous studies have proposed a power steering mechanism that applies an assist torque proportional to the user’s steering torque to the handlebar axis. This mechanism has been shown to recover reduced maneuverability. However, when a rider rides a bicycle, the rider does not only operate the handlebars but also tilts the bicycle in the roll direction. Therefore, in this study, to propose a control method to assist the steering torque of the handlebar, a mathematical model of the bicycle is considered that includes both handlebar operation and bicycle tilt. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed model, we develop an electrically power assisted bicycle with the power steering mechanism and implement an assist algorithm. The experimental results confirmed that the proposed method is effective in assisting bicyclists with luggage in the front basket of their bicycles.