Paderborn University

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Dynamics and Mechatronics (LDM)

Integration of OpenCRG and Matlab in the behavior analysis of a

vehicle in different types of roads.

Author: Tiago Melillo de Matos

Supervisor: Thorben Khaul
1 INTRODUCTION

OpenCRG is a complete open source project including a tool-suite for the

creation, modification and evaluation of road surfaces, and an open file format
specification CRG (curved regular grid).
Its objective is to standardize a detailed road surface description and it may be used
for applications like tire-, vibration- or driving-simulation.
With Adams Car vertical products, engineering teams can quickly build and test
functional virtual prototypes of complete vehicles and vehicle subsystems. Working in
the Adams vehicle vertical environment, automotive engineering teams can exercise
their vehicle designs under various road conditions, performing the same tests they
normally run in a test lab or on a test track, but in a fraction of time.

2 OBJECTIVE

In this project, the openCRG is used to generate roads with randomly

characteristics, including different types of slope, curves, banking and surface. Some
functions were created using the openCRG library to enable the generation of these
roads.
The OpenCRG road will be used with Adams Car for driving simulation.

3 OPENCRG RANDOM ROADS

The random roads are divided in three types:

Expressway
Normal way
Street

For each type the main function can generate roads with different curvature,
banking, slope and surface.
The main function, and the other functions responsible for generate random
roads are located in the following address:

\OpenCRG.1.1.0\matlab\test\RandomRoads.

Road type Angle range

Expressway 0 - 3
Normal way 0 - 5
Street 0 - 20

3.1 Sloped Roads

 Sloped roads are divided in three types, each type has an angle range
according to the type of road.
The road type has to be selected in the main function and then the function
genrslope will choose a randomly angle according to the road type.

Figure 1: 1.7 slope.

3.2 Curvy Roads

Curvature can be divided into sections independent of banking and slope. It is

described by a polynomial of grade 2. The following represents a possible curvature
matrix definition.

c = { LC1 { 1/R1s (1/R1e - 1/R1s) / LC1 }

; LC2 { 1/R2s (1/R2e - 1/R2s) / LC2 }
;
};

LC1, LC2 : section length

R1s, R2s : section starting radius
R1e, R2e : section ending radius

Curve roads can be generated with a minimum angle range of 0 and

maximum 45. This angle is calculated using the arctg(y/x), as in the following
examples:
Figure 2: 45 curve.

Figure 3: 45 road.
Figure 4: 15 curve

Curve roads are also divided in three types, each type has an angle range
according to the road type.

Road type Angle range

Expressway 0 - 4
Normal way 0 - 9
Street 0 - 45

The road type is selected in the main function, and a random degree between
the angle ranges will be chosen. To convert the degree value in R(n)s, R(n)e (section
starting and ending radius) , the function tabela is used.
3.2 Banking of Roads
To generate banked roads, the function genbank is used by the main function.
The banking is divided according to the road type:

Road type Angle range

Expressway 0 - 1
Normal way 0 - 4
Street 0 - 6

The angle value is not integer, so, it is possible to have infinite different
possibilities between 0 and 1, for example.

3.3 Surface of Roads

The surface of roads is always in the same format, it is possible to change

only the peaks size, as in the following images.

Figure 6: Surface of Roads

The peaks size is divided in three, according to the road type:

Road type Maximum Peak Size

Expressway 0cm 4cm
Normal way 0cm 7cm
Street 0cm 10cm

The maximum peak size is showed in the figure 6, with the red and blue
colors.

4 THE MAIN FUNCTION

The random roads are generated in the main function. In the main function the
function genrslope, genrcurv, genbank are called, making the possibility to generate
roads with more than one characteristic.
When the main function starts, some menu will appear to help in the road
generation.
In the first menu it is possible to select the road type.

ex.:

Please select the track type:

1. Expressway;
2. Normalway;
3. Street:

In the second menu it is possible to select the number of roads to be

generated; in the third, the road length; and in the last menu is possible to select
between random attributes and selected attributes. The attributes are divided in three
options, which one has different road characteristics. The first one is curvature and
slope, the second curvature and banking, and the third is slope, curvature and
banking.
After these simple steps the road will be generated and a file named
RandomRoad, with the generated road characteristics, will appear in the local folder.
This file can be used in the software Adams Car, to use the road for driving
simulation.

5 USING THE GENERATED ROAD IN ADAMS CAR

 In general the position of the CRG measured road data will not match with
the required position for your (vehicle model). To solve this problem the file
RandomRoad_repositioned.crg has to be used. Be sure to open the file
RandomRoad_repositioned.crg and change the directory to the current folder .
The .crg files can also be used for the desired path on the x-y plane in case
of a Full-Vehicle Analysis Course Event' or a Full-Vehicle Analysis
Adams/SmartDriver analysis. Also the Full-Vehicle Analysis Path Optimization
tool can deal with the .crg files.
The first step is select an existing model of a car. There are some options in
File Assembly', and then it will be possible to select an analysis. More information
about the analysis in Help Adams Help'.