A Realistic Road Model for Real-Time Vehicle Dynamics Simulation

A computational road model for the use in real-time vehicle dynamics applications is introduced. The horizontal layout is modularly composed of clothoidal and piecewise polynomial parts efficiently evaluated during run-time. The vertical road definition consists of piecewise linear and cubic spline functions yielding an overall smooth height characteristic. The variable transverse profile allows for geometrical disturbances as well as for various road surface conditions. The use of the road model for the approximation of physical roads based on survey data and for a raceline optimization scheme is outlined.