Abstract
This paper describes a method of torque distribution and control for independent wheel drive vehicles for offroad use. Adequate torque distribution to the wheels is important for the performance of off-road vehicles. The models of torque distribution to the front and rear wheels based on the wheel speed or the vertical load on the wheels have been proposed for off-road driving. In order to examine the proposed model, numerical simulations were conducted with a vehicle motion model in the pitch-plane. The numerical results were compared with the data of conventional vehicles in terms of driving efficiency on rough ground. The results demonstrated that the proposed torque distribution model based on the vertical load on the wheels is useful for the efficient driving of off-road vehicles on rough ground.
