Model predictive control of high-performance braking systems: a force-based approach

In this paper, a Force-based Model Predictive Control (F-MPC) scheme for braking systems is proposed. The use of longitudinal force information for slip tracking shows two main advantages: 1) the closed-loop system becomes robust to different grip conditions without the need of a friction model, 2) the optimization problem can be formulated as a quadratic program, suitable for real-time implementation. The approach is tested on a full-fledged vehicle simulator coupled with a nonlinear actuator calibrated on a real electro-hydraulic brake. A comparison with state-of-the-art solutions highlights better transient and tracking performance under both nominal and uncertain friction conditions.