Self-balancing two-wheel drive electric motorcycle modelling and control: preliminary results

In four-wheeled vehicles, electronic stability control (ESC) was introduced in the recent past to improve passengers' safety in critical driving conditions. On the other hand, the development of electronic systems for two-wheeled vehicles has started with considerable delay with respect to their four-wheeled counterparts and the design of such a riderless control system has not been thoroughly investigated at low speed and without the use of steering torque. In this paper a riderless self-balancing two wheel drive electric motorcycle mathematical model - based on Lagrange's equations - and three control strategies are put forward to cover this deficiency at low speeds. Moreover, the study would find out whether front wheel torque could help vehicle stabilization in case of steering handlebar can not be actuated. For these reasons, in the proposed model the steering handlebar is locked over time and both front and rear wheel driving torques can be chosen as control inputs. The work would also investigate whether bike stabilization can be achieved in a small bounded area.