Fuzzy logic in ABS

Fuzzy Logic:

A look at Fuzzy Logic as it relates to ABS

(Anti-Lock Braking) within an

automobile.

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ABSTRACT

In recent years fuzzy logic control techniques have been applied to a wide

range of systems. Many electronic control systems in the automotive industry such as

automatic transmissions, engine control and Anti-lock Brake Systems (ABS) realize

superior characteristics through the use of fuzzy logic based control rather than traditional

control algorithms. ABS is implemented in automobiles to ensure optimal vehicle control

and minimal stopping distances during hard or emergency braking. ABS is now accepted

as an essential contribution to vehicle safety. Intel Corporation is the leading supplier of

microcontrollers for ABS and enjoys a technology agreement with Inform Software

Corporation the leading supplier of Fuzzy Logic tools and systems. The increasing

automotive customer awareness of ABS has greatly increased the demand for this

technology. Improving ABS capability is a mutual goal of automotive manufacturers and

Intel Corporation. The growing interest in the automotive community to implement fuzzy

logic control in automotive systems has produced several major automotive product

introductions. The use of fuzzy-logic in conjunction with microcontrollers is a fairly new

development in automotive applications. In future it is expected that ABS will be

implemented all over the world.

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Fuzzy Logic and Anti-Lock Braking System

Table Of Contents

Introduction 3

Fuzzy Logic 4

The Fuzzy ABS System 6

How does it work? 7

The Fuzzy Controller 9

Conclusion 11

Bibliography 13

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FUZZY LOGIC AND ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION

In establishing a non-complex and practical application of the phenomenon of

fuzzy logic it is important to consider a trifling situation in everyday life which is

applicable to all, thus the event of anti-lock braking system was considered as a prime

example of how we could demonstrate the implementation of fuzzy logic.

The result of this literature review will show the implementation of fuzzy logic in

this relatively low-level control of some machinery as opposed to a high-level artificial

intelligence application. This application is not uncommon as it has been seen where

fuzzy logic has been implemented in relatively simple systems such as washing

machines, traffic control, truck speed limiter, aircraft flight path and air conditioning to

name a few. These implementations can be seen as an underachievement for the

technology as fuzzy logic was originally developed to solve the complexities involved in

the discipline of Artificial Intelligence. Mimicking the thought process of humans as well

as doing language translations, were key areas that fuzzy logic was developed to be

implemented.

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FUZZY LOGIC

Fuzzy set theory, from where fuzzy logic comes, was developed in 1965 by Lotfi Zadeh

to combat the imprecision and uncertainties that exists in the everyday world. Its

applications are geared towards solving non-mathematically distinct problems and allow

statements to be answered with more than a YES or NO. Its derivative from traditional

logic theorems, allows it to include all the properties of that system in addition to the new

properties that were developed and hence, mapping functions, ordering and arithmetic

operations all apply to fuzzy logic.

As opposed to its classical counterpart, fuzzy logic possesses exceedingly greater

capabilities to capture uncertainties in their various forms, and as a result improves the

gap between mathematical models and the associated physical reality. Fuzzy logic is

capable of capturing the vagueness of linguistic terms in statements that are expressed in

natural languages. Modeling human common sense reasoning, decision-making and other

aspects of human cognition are enhanced with the use of fuzzy logic. These capabilities

are essential in acquiring knowledge from human experts, representing and manipulating

knowledge in expert systems in a human-like manner, and, generally in designing and

building systems, which exhibit high levels of intelligence. Behavior, which is associated

with perception rather than measurements, is an intriguing basis for fuzzy logic

explorations.

Electronic control systems in the automotive industry are currently being pursued in the

United States, and the reality of superior performance through the use of fuzzy logic

based control rather than traditional control algorithms. Fuzzy logic strives to establish a

value for linguistic expressions like “fast”, “slow” and “long” by finding an interval

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between 0% and 100% to accurately express the truthfulness of an expression. It also

uses “if, then” rules to determine outcomes for particular input data. With this construct,

it is possible to build rules such as:

“If the rear wheels are turning slowly and a short time ago the vehicle speed was high,

then reduce rear brake pressure".

Such rules provide themselves to the development of an ABS braking system

based on fuzzy logic, and as such we shall proceed to describe this development as best

as possible, given the predefined limit of this research document.

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THE FUZZY ABS SYSTEM

ABS is implemented in automobiles to ensure optimal vehicle control and

minimal stopping distances during hard or emergency braking. The number of cars

equipped with ABS has been increasing continuously in the last few years. ABS is now

accepted as an essential contribution to vehicle safety. The methods of control utilized by

ABS are responsible for system performance.

Since ABS systems are nonlinear and dynamic in nature, they are a prime

candidate for fuzzy logic control. For most driving surfaces, as vehicle braking force is

applied to the wheel system, the longitudinal relationship of friction between vehicle and

driving surface rapidly increases. Wheel slip under these conditions is largely considered

to be the difference between vehicle velocity and a reduction of wheel velocity during the

application of braking force. Brakes work because friction acts against slip. The more

slip, given enough friction, the more braking force is brought to bear on the vehicles

momentum. Unfortunately, slip can and will work against itself during cornering or on

wet or icy surfaces where the coefficient of surface friction varies. If braking force

continues to be applied beyond the driving surface’ useful coefficient of friction, the

brake effectively begins to operate in a non-friction environment. Increasing brake force

in a decreasing frictional environment often results in full wheel lockup. It has been both

mathematically and empirically proven a sliding wheel produces less friction than a

moving wheel.

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HOW DOES IT WORK?

Conventional ABS control algorithms must account for non-linearity in brake

torque due to temperature variation and dynamics of brake fluid viscosity. Also, external

disturbances such as changes in frictional coefficient and road surface must be accounted

for, not to mention the influences of tire wear and system components aging. These

influential factors increase system complexity, in turn, affecting mathematical models

used to describe systems. As the model becomes increasingly complex, equations

required to control ABS also become increasingly complicated. Due to the highly

dynamic nature of ABS many assumptions and initial conditions are used to make control

achievable. Once control is achieved the system is physically implemented and tested.

The system is then modified to achieve the desired control status.

Inputs:

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The inputs to a particular Fuzzy ABS are represented in the diagram above and consist

of:

1. The Brake: This block represents the brake pedal deflection/assertion. This

information is acquired in a digital or analog format.

2. The 4 W.D: This indicates if the vehicle is in the 4-wheel-drive mode. However

the vehicle may not be limited strictly to 4 W.D, as there exists vehicles that are

based on Front-Wheel, Rear-Wheel or All-Wheel drive platforms (which is in-fact

different from 4 W.D).

3. The Ignition: This input registers if the ignition key is in place, and if the engine

is running or not.

4. Feed-back: This block represents the set of inputs concerning the state of the

ABS system.

5. Wheel speed: In a typical application this will represent a set of 4 input signals

that convey the information concerning the speed of each wheel. This information

is used to derive all necessary information for the control algorithm.

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THE FUZZY CONTROLLER

One such Fuzzy-Controller uses input values, which were converted to fuzzy

variables slip and dvwheel by the fuzzification process. Both variables use seven

linguistic values, the slip variable is described by the terms:

Slip = {zero, very small, too small, smaller than optimum, optimum, too large, very

large},

The acceleration dvwheel is described by:

dvwheel = {negative large, negative medium, negative small, negative few, zero, positive

small, positive large}.

As a result of two fuzzy variables (and the laws of probability), each of them

having seven labels, 49 different conditions are possible. The rule base is complete,

meaning, all 49 rules are formulated and all 49 conditions are allowed. The two fuzzy

input values slip and dvwheel can be mapped to the fuzzy output value pressure. The

labels for this value are:

pressure = {positive fast, positive slow, zero, negative slow, negative fast}

The optimal breaking pressure results from the defuzzification of the linguistic

variable pressure.

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A full-braking experiment was carried out on a GM (General Motors) motor car

with and without fuzzy ABS and the following noticed:

Without fuzzy ABS the braking pressure reaches a very high level and wheel

lockup occurred within a short space of time. Resulting in an unstable behavior, the

vehicle cannot be steered anymore and the stopping distance increases.

With fuzzy ABS controller activated, steering was not only retained during the

whole braking maneuver, but the slowing down length was considerably shortened as

well.

INTEL FUZZY ABS FEATURES:In the Intel Fuzzy ABS an embedded

87C196JT microcontroller (a member of the 8XC196Kx family) is used in conjunction

with Inform Software Corporation fuzzyTECH(R) software. Rules constitute the base of

the algorithm and are evaluated in sequence, one after the other. Upon completion of all

rules processing the final system output is calculated as previously described.

In contrast, if a custom dedicated fuzzy parallel processor were to be used, rules could be
evaluated in parallel. The parallel processing method suggests a fast processing cycle.
However, in this case data acquisition and data output continues using conventional
peripherals. The time gained in parallel rule processing can be lost in acquiring and
manipulating data via external peripherals.

The best solution continues to use a software fuzzy algorithm on a microcontroller with
fast internal peripherals. In this case, sequential rule processing is transparent to the
system and the process appears to have been done in parallel. The MCS(R) 96 family of
microcontrollers is equipped with high performance internal peripherals that make data
acquisition and data conditioning of outputs fast and easy to handle.

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CONCLUSION

On the basis of better control under probable life threatening and dangerous

conditions, which may occur during the braking process within an automobile, it is safe

to conclude on the basis of our research / literary review, that with the advent of the

incorporation of fuzzy logic within the electronic braking system of an automobile, safer

braking conditions have been achieved. The ABS system has been for a number of years,

used by the automotive industry, and with further research, development and

implementation of more refined fuzzy logic concepts, the driving world will forever

more, be safer during their daily commute, knowing that such systems are in place to help

avoid skidding and other hazardous mechanisms which they may face.

RESULTS OF USING FUZZY ABS:

 Improved control on vehicle: - Now a greater control is achieved on the vehicle, so

that many worst cases of vehicle control are overcome.

 Fuzzy logic introduction revolutionized the modeling of ABS. Now ABS Design has
become much simpler due to the predesigned microcontrollers of Intel technology.

 Fuzzy ABS introduction lead to the ideas of introducing FUZZY LOGIC into many
Automobile applications.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

IEEE Xplore(This paper appears in Fuzzy systems, IEEE Transactions)

Elting, David and Robert Kowalczyk. “Fuzzy Anti-Lock Brake System Solution”,

http://www.intel.com/design/mcs96/designex/2351.htm.

Klein, Ralph (et al). “Antilock-Braking System and Vehicle Speed Estimation using

Fuzzy Logic”, http://www.fuzzyTech.com/.

Symans, Micheal D. & Kelly, Stephen W. “Fuzzy Control of Bridge Systems…” 1999.

Robert V. Demicco, George J. Klir. “Fuzzy Logic in Geology”. 2003.

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