Les environnements virtuels, et en particulier les simulateurs de conduite à plate-forme dynamique, posent la délicate question de la restitution multisensorielle en vue de générer la bonne "illusion" pour leurs utilisateurs. Si la réalité virtuelle est reconnue pour la limitation des coûts, le gain temporel et la contrôlabilité et reproductibilité des situations étudiées, la problématique de la validité de ces outils de recherche (ou de formation) est cruciale pour la transférabilité des connaissances produites.Constituant une première étape dans le processus de validation du simulateur IFSTTAR, ce travail s’appuie sur une démarche originale reposant sur une double évaluation, par élément et globale. Il s’agit (i) de configurer de manière optimale les caractéristiques immersives et interactives du simulateur liées au mouvement de roulis afin de produire une illusion d’inclinaison crédible et acceptée, et (ii) d’évaluer, de manière globale, différentes configurations du simulateur (modèles dynamiques de véhicule) au moyen de mesures objectives (temps de familiarisation) et subjectives (présence, mal du simulateur).Prises dans leur ensemble, les sept études menées durant cette thèse ont permis de valider une plage de restitution du mouvement de roulis pertinente pour produire une sensation d’inclinaison sans entraîner de déséquilibre critique ou de sensation de chute. Un angle d’inclinaison du simulateur au-delà de 11,4 degrés est ainsi déconseillé pour éviter toute sensation de chute, néanmoins cette valeur est susceptible d’être influencée par divers facteurs (e.g., présence d’informations visuelles, positionnement de l’axe de roulis). Ces études ont également permis d’identifier, en conduite passive, les paramètres nécessaires ainsi que les contributions relatives des informations visuelle et inertielle pour la production d’une sensation d’inclinaison crédible. En conduite active, l’évaluation du degré de contrôle des participants en fonction du modèle dynamique de véhicule (virtuel) a permis de pointer les faiblesses actuelles du simulateur IFSTTAR afin de proposer plusieurs pistes de développement. / Virtual environments, and specifically motion-based driving simulators, raise the delicate question of multisensory cueing in order to produce the good "illusion" to the users. If virtual reality is well acknowledged for cost limitation, validity issue of these research (or training) tools is critical for knowledge transfer of new results.As a first step in the validation process of the IFSTTAR motorcycle simulator, this work relies upon an original design based on a double approach : by element and global. It consists in (i) optimal balancing of simulator’s immersive and interactive characteristics linked to roll motion so as to yield a believable and embraced leaning illusion, and (ii) evaluating more generally different simulator configurations (vehicle dynamic models) through objective (training length) and subjective measures (presence, simulator sickness).Taken as a whole, the seven studies conducted during this thesis enable the validation of the relevant range of roll motion cueing to produce a leaning sensation without leading to a critical unbalance or fall sensation. A leaning angle of the simulator beyond 11.4 degrees is not recommended to avoid any fall sensation, however this figure can be influenced by various factors (e.g., visual informations, roll axis location). These studies also allow to identify, in passive driving situations, the necessary parameters as well as the relative contribution of visual and inertial informations for the production of a believable leaning sensation. In an active driving situation, the evaluation of the degree of users control through different (virtual) vehicles dynamic models has permitted to highlight the weaknesses of IFSTTAR simulator in order to set several guidelines for further development.

Due to the detrimental effects of ride vibrations on occupants and increasing safety concerns, improvement in vehicle dynamic characteristics has become a key focus of researchers. Typically, ride and handling problems have been dealt with independently. There is a dearth of vehicle models capable of capturing occupant biodynamics and its implication on vehicle ride and handling. Also in general, the objective of conventional control systems has been to attenuate vertical dynamic response of the sprung mass of a vehicle. Feedback control based algorithms are predominantly used in active/semi-active suspensions that ignore the biodynamics of occupants. In the current work, a new 50 degree-of-freedom (DOF) combined nonlinear multi-occupant vehicle model is developed using the lumped parameter modelling (LPM) approach. The current model provides a platform for performing a combined study of ride, handling and occupant biodynamics. The model is capable of simulating the combined effect of sitting occupancies, road inputs and driving maneuvers on biodynamic responses. It is analyzed using MATLAB/SIMULINK functionalities and validated by independently correlating the computed responses with existing experimental results. A study is performed on ride behavior of a vehicle-occupant system under two different transient road inputs. In addition, the effect of road roughness on vehicle ride is also studied. Random road profiles are generated from road roughness spectrum given in the ISO 8608:1995 manual. Insights are developed into the ride dynamics of a vehicle traversing over roads of classes A, B, C and D at given test velocities. The effect of sitting occupancies and vehicle velocities on lateral dynamics is also studied. Results underscore the need for considering sitting occupancies while analyzing vehicle dynamics and also highlight the potential of the current model. Furthermore, a Moore-Penrose Pseudoinverse based feed-forward controller is developed and implemented in an independently acting semi-active seat suspension system. Feasibility of feed-forward control in primary suspensions is also investigated. Finally, issues of stability, performance and limitation of the controller are discussed.

Driven by the need for automation and autonomy as well as the need to reduce resources and emissions, the automotive industry is currently undergoing a major transformation. Technologically, this transformation is addressing a wide range of challenges and opportunities. The optimal control of all components is significant for the sustainable development and eco-friendly operation of vehicles. Additionally, robust control of the actuators forms the basis for the development of driver assistance systems and functions for autonomous driving. The actuators of the steering system are particularly important, as they enable safe and comfortable lateral vehicle control. Therefore, the model-based development and virtual simulation of an innovative highly robust control approach for modern Steer-by-Wire systems were conducted in this thesis. The approaches and algorithms described in this thesis allow the design of robust Steer-by-Wire systems and offer the opportunity to conduct many investigations in a computer-aided virtual environment at an early stage in the development process. This reduces time- and cost-intensive testing on prototypes, avoids unnecessary iterations in the design and significantly increases the efficiency and quality of the development. The desired high degree of robustness of the steering control also ensures that the parameterization of the steering feel generator can be freely selected for the individual application. This enables safe and comfortable vehicle lateral control.In summary, the research results described in this thesis accelerate the development of new, modern Steer-by-Wire systems whose robust design forms the basis for the realization of functions for highly automated and autonomous driving.

Cette thèse s'inscrit dans la continuité des travaux de l'équipe CRONE appliqués à la suspension. Cette thèse permet de proposer une suspension CRONE qui non seulement gère le compromis Isolation vibratoire/ tenue de caisse mais également isolation vibratoire/ tenue de roue. Pour cela un critère est développé sur la tenue de roue, applicable à tous types de suspensions permettant l’analyse et le dimensionnement de la suspension pour le contrôle de roue. De plus afin de lever le dilemme entre sollicitations route et sollicitation conducteur, une stratégie pour les suspensions bi -états est proposée et appliquée sur suspension hydractive. Enfin , un travail de formalisme de l’ influence la suspension sur la dynamique véhicule fut réalisé permettant d ’enrichir la stratégie de commutation déjà développée pour agir en virage et en freinage et ainsi optimiser l’utilisation de la suspension . / This thesis follows some previous work of the CRONE team applied to carsuspensions. It allows to purpose one car suspension, called CRONE car suspension, whichimproves the compromise between low frequency road filtering and car holding and thecompromise between hight frequency road filtering and wheel holding. To hold the wheel acriterium on the wheel holding is developed. This criterium can be used to analyse and tunedall kind of car suspension around the wheel pulsation. Moreover, to fight against thecompromise between the driver input and the raod input, a control laws is developed andapplied to a bi-state car suspension called hydractive car suspension. Finally, the influence ofthe car suspension tuning on the vehicle dynamic and more precisely on the ESP, ABSsystems is studied and illustrated with some first experiments.