Driver assistance for steering while reversing long combination vehicles

Abstract

Long combination vehicles, such as A-double configurations, pose significant challenges during low-speed reversing due to their length and multiple articulation points, which increase the risk of instability and jackknifing. This project investigates a driver-assist approach for reverse steering of such vehicles, aiming to improve controllability during low-speed manoeuvres. A desktop simulation framework was developed using TruckMaker for vehicle modelling and MATLAB/Simulink for control implementation and visualisation. The reversing behaviour was described using a kinematic singletrack model for articulated vehicles, and an LQR-based feedback controller was designed to stabilise articulation angles and regulate the reversing trajectory. Driver input is provided through a knob-based interface specifying the desired turning radius, which is used to calculate steering commands for the tractor and the rear trailer. The system was evaluated in simulation through multiple reversing scenarios, including straight-line, constantradius, and misaligned initial conditions, demonstrating stable reversing behaviour without jackknifing and consistent path tracking under the tested conditions. In addition, a CAN communication framework was implemented to explore real-vehicle integration. While vehicle state signals were successfully received in real time, steering command transmission could not yet be validated due to gateway limitations. The project establishes a simulation and HIL-ready framework for future refinement and real-vehicle validation.