Equos Research Co., Ltd.

Kabushikikaisha Equos Research

Fumihiko Sakakibara

Munehisa Horiguchi

Nobuaki Miki

Akira Mizuno

Masao Ando

Takumi Tachibana

Hisanori Shirai

Takashi Naito

Minoru Abe

Toshio Fukuda

Katsunori Doi

Takayuki Matsuno

A vehicle control device which can at least provide compatibility between a high grip performance and fuel efficiency or compatibility between quietness and fuel efficiency is provided. When a camber angle of a wheelis adjusted to a negative camber, ground contact in a first treadis increased and ground contact in a second treadis decreased. Accordingly, the high grip performance or the quietness is provided. On the other hand, when the camber angle of the wheelis adjusted to a positive camber, the ground contact in the first treadis decreased and the ground contact in the second treadis increased. Accordingly, a rolling resistance becomes low, and fuel saving is achieved. In this manner, by adjusting the camber angle of the wheel, the compatibility can be provided between conflicting performances of the high grip performance or the quietness and the fuel saving.

Vehicle control device

To provide a vehicle which can move independently as an own independent vehicle and can run integrally in linkage with another vehicle. A plurality of single-seat vehicles which can move independently are combined and they move integrally while a predetermined formation is maintained through linkage among respective vehicles. One of all the vehicles moving in linkage serves as a host vehicle and an occupant in the host vehicle becomes a driver in the linkage moving. A host vehicle 1 runs with speed/direction according to running operation conducted by an occupant. Simultaneously therewith, the host vehicle 1 instructs following vehicles 2 to 4 to synchronize (follow) the host vehicle. The host vehicle 1 transmits a speed, a direction, and a relative position to the host vehicle to the following vehicles 2 to 4 as moving information in order to synchronize the following vehicles with the host vehicle (maintain linkage relationship). The following vehicles 2 to 4 move based upon a follow-up instruction and feed status information including speeds and directions of the following vehicles, and their own positions back to the host vehicle 1 as own vehicle information.

Vehicle

A vehicle has a drive wheel, a seat, an attitude sensor, a balancer movable relative to the seat, a drive control, an attitude control for controlling the attitude of the seat by moving the balancer and a main controller. The main controller calculates a torque Tfor tilting the seat and a torque Tfor moving the balancer forward, compares Twith Tmax (the maximum torque which can be generated by the balancer), and outputs commands to the drive control and the attitude control. When the calculated torque Texceeds Tmax, responsive to a command for Tmax, the attitude control moves the balancer to generate a reaction torque corresponding to Tmax, and the main controller supplies an adjustment torque value Tfor the drive wheel. The drive control controls the drive wheel in accordance with the drive command and the adjustment torque value T

A vehicle control device and a vehicle are provided with compatibility between high grip performance and fuel efficiency. When a camber angle of a wheel is adjusted as a negative camber, the ground contact pressure on a first tread is increased and the ground contact pressure on a second tread is decreased, thus providing the high grip performance. On the other hand, when the camber angle of the wheel is adjusted as a positive camber, the ground contact pressure on the first tread is decreased and the ground contact pressure on the second tread is increased, thereby reducing rolling resistance and achieving fuel saving. By adjusting the camber angle of the wheel, compatibility can be provided between high grip performance and fuel saving which otherwise conflict with each other.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Fumihiko Sakakibara