1.4 The Development of the Automobile as a Mechatronic System

The evolution of modern mechatronics can be illustrated with the example of the automobile. Until the 1960s, the radio was the only significant electronics in an automobile. All other functions were entirely mechanical or electrical, such as the starter motor and the battery charging systems. There were no “intelligent safety systems,” except augmenting the bumper and structural members to protect occupants in case of accidents. Seat belts, introduced in the early 1960s, were aimed at improving occupant safety and were completely mechanically actuated. All engine systems were controlled by the driver and/or other mechanical control systems. For instance, before the introduction of sensors and microcontrollers, a mechanical distributor was used to select the specific spark plug to fire when the fuel–air mixture was compressed. The timing of the ignition was the control variable. The mechanically controlled combustion process was not optimal in terms of fuel efficiency. Modeling of the combustion process showed that, for increased fuel efficiency, there existed an optimal time when the fuel should be ignited. The timing depends on load, speed, and other measurable quantities. The electronic ignition system was one of the first mechatronic systems to be introduced in the automobile in the late 1970s. The electronic ignition system consists of a crankshaft position sensor, camshaft position sensor, airflow rate, throttle position, rate of throttle position change sensors, and a dedicated microcontroller determining the timing of the spark plug firings. Early implementations involved only a Hall effect sensor to sense the position of the rotor in the distributor accurately. Subsequent implementations eliminated the distributor completely and directly controlled the firings utilizing a microprocessor.

The Antilock Brake System (ABS) was also introduced in the late 1970s in automobiles [20]. The ABS works by sensing lockup of any of the wheels and then modulating the hydraulic pressure as needed to minimize or eliminate sliding. The Traction Control System (TCS) was introduced in automobiles in the mid-1990s. The TCS works by sensing slippage during acceleration and then modulating the power to the slipping wheel. This process ensures that the vehicle is accelerating at the maximum possible rate under given road and vehicle conditions. The Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) system was introduced in automobiles in the late 1990s. The VDC works similar to the TCS with the addition of a yaw rate sensor and a lateral accelerometer. The driver intention is determined by the steering wheel position and then compared with the actual direction of motion. The TCS system is then activated to control the power to the wheels and to control the vehicle velocity and minimize the difference between the steering wheel direction and the direction of the vehicle motion [20,21]. In some cases, the ABS is used to slow down the vehicle to achieve desired control. In automobiles today, typically, 8, 16, or 32-bit CPUs are used for implementation of the various control systems. The microcontroller has onboard memory (EEPROM/EPROM), digital and analog inputs, A/D converters, pulse width modulation (PWM), timer functions, such as event counting and pulse width measurement, prioritized inputs, and in some cases digital signal processing. The 32-bit processor is used for engine management, transmission control, and airbags; the 16-bit processor is used for the ABS, TCS, VDC, instrument cluster, and air conditioning systems; the 8-bit processor is used for seat, mirror control, and window lift systems. Today, there are about 30–60 microcontrollers in a car. This is expected to increase with the drive towards developing modular systems for plug-n-ply mechatronics subsystems.

Mechatronics has become a necessity for product differentiation in automobiles. Since the basics of internal combustion engine were worked out almost a century ago, differences in the engine design among the various automobiles are no longer useful as a product differentiator. In the 1970s, the Japanese automakers succeeded in establishing a foothold in the U.S. automobile market by offering unsurpassed quality and fuel-efficient small automobiles. The quality of the vehicle was the product differentiator through the 1980s. In the 1990s, consumers came to expect quality and reliability in automobiles from all manufacturers. Today, mechatronic features have become the product differentiator in these tradition-ally mechanical systems. This is further accelerated by higher performance price ratio in electronics, market demand for innovative products with smart features, and the drive to reduce cost of manufac-turing of existing products through redesign incorporating mechatronics elements. With the prospects of low single digit (2–3%) growth, automotive makers will be searching for high-tech features that will differentiate their vehicles from others [22]. The automotive electronics market in North America, now at about $20 billion, is expected to reach $28 billion by 2004 [22]. New applications of mechatronic systems in the automotive world include semi-autonomous to fully autonomous automobiles, safety enhancements, emission reduction, and other features including intelligent cruise control, and brake by wire systems eliminating the hydraulics [23]. Another significant growth area that would benefit from a mechatronics design approach is wireless networking of automobiles to ground stations and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Telematics, which combines audio, hands-free cell phone, navigation, Internet connectivity, e-mail, and voice recognition, is perhaps the largest potential automotive growth area. In fact, the use of electronics in automobiles is expected to increase at an annual rate of 6% per year over the next five years, and the electronics functionality will double over the next five years [24].

Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) is an enabling technology for the cost-effective develop-ment of sensors and actuators for mechatronics applications. Already, several MEMS devices are in use in automobiles, including sensors and actuators for airbag deployment and pressure sensors for manifold pressure measurement. Integrating MEMS devices with CMOS signal conditioning circuits on the same silicon chip is another example of development of enabling technologies that will improve mechatronic products, such as the automobile.

Millimeter wave radar technology has recently found applications in automobiles. The millimeter wave radar detects the location of objects (other vehicles) in the scenery and the distance to the obstacle and the velocity in real-time. A detailed description of a working system is given by Suzuki et al. [25]. Figure 1.4 shows an illustration of the vehicle-sensing capability with a millimeter-waver radar. This technology provides the capability to control the distance between the vehicle and an obstacle (or another vehicle) by integrating the sensor with the cruise control and ABS systems. The driver is able to set the speed and the desired distance between the cars ahead of him. The ABS system and the cruise control system are coupled together to safely achieve this remarkable capability. One logical extension of the obstacle avoidance capability is slow speed semi-autonomous driving where the vehicle maintains a constant distance from the vehicle ahead in traffic jam conditions. Fully autonomous vehicles are well within the scope of mechatronics development within the next 20 years. Supporting investigations are underway in many research centers on development of semi-autonomous cars with reactive path planning using GPS-based continuous traffic model updates and stop-and-go automation. A proposed sensing and control

FIGURE 1.4 Using a radar to measure distance and velocity to autonomously maintain desired distance between