Article: Developing compact autoregressive characterisations of terrain topology profiles Journal: International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modelling and Testing (IJVSMT) 2012 Vol.7 No.1 pp.12 - 25 Abstract: Terrain is the principal source of vertical excitation into the vehicle system, but it is impractical to simulate long distances of every terrain type. A terrain characterisation method is developed for grouping terrain into sets with similar characteristics. Profiles are considered realisations of a stochastic process, described by an autoregressive (AR) model and characterised by the AR coefficients and a single cumulative probability function for the residual process. A set of basis vectors is developed onto which the inverse cumulative probability function (ICPF) of the residual process is mapped. The ICPF is estimated with a small number of basis vectors. The AR and ICPF coefficients of the residual process are jointly dependent on the underlying terrain profiles, so additional basis vectors that map these dependent coefficients onto a reduced set of coefficients are developed. It is shown that six coefficients are required to characterise US highways. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Developing compact autoregressive characterisations of terrain topology profiles

Authors: Shannon Wagner; John B. Ferris

Addresses: Vehicle Terrain Performance Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 100S Randolph Hall, MC 0238, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. ' Vehicle Terrain Performance Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 100S Randolph Hall, MC 0238, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA

Abstract: Terrain is the principal source of vertical excitation into the vehicle system, but it is impractical to simulate long distances of every terrain type. A terrain characterisation method is developed for grouping terrain into sets with similar characteristics. Profiles are considered realisations of a stochastic process, described by an autoregressive (AR) model and characterised by the AR coefficients and a single cumulative probability function for the residual process. A set of basis vectors is developed onto which the inverse cumulative probability function (ICPF) of the residual process is mapped. The ICPF is estimated with a small number of basis vectors. The AR and ICPF coefficients of the residual process are jointly dependent on the underlying terrain profiles, so additional basis vectors that map these dependent coefficients onto a reduced set of coefficients are developed. It is shown that six coefficients are required to characterise US highways.

Keywords: autoregressive modelling; terrain characterisation; topology; stochastic process; singular value decomposition; SVD; basis vectors; residual process; probability distribution; inverse CPF; cumulative probability function; ICPF; vertical excitation; vehicle systems; chassis loads; vehicle design; load prediction; roads; highways.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVSMT.2012.045312

International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modelling and Testing, 2012 Vol.7 No.1, pp.12 - 25

Received: 18 May 2011
Accepted: 15 Oct 2011
Published online: 13 Sep 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article

Title: Developing compact autoregressive characterisations of terrain topology profiles

Keep up-to-date