Superior Obstacle Avoidance Capabilities of Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMVs) Equipped with an Active Inward Tilting Mechanism

In recent years, novel Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMVs) with a narrow width and an inward tilting mechanism, similar to motorcycles (MCs), have been proposed to prevent overturning during turns. Due to their compact size, these vehicles have inherent limitations in collision safety, making their dynamic safety and accident avoidance capabilities particularly crucial. In this study, a comparative analysis was conducted using a simulated single lane change course to evaluate obstacle avoidance performance. The results reveal that PMVs equipped with an active inward tilting mechanism exhibit superior obstacle avoidance capabilities. Based on the roll moment equilibrium conditions of these vehicles, an investigation of vehicle states during avoidance maneuvers revealed that both actual and virtual tilt angles coexist in PMVs, and their combined equivalent tilt angle effectively balances the roll moment during turning. This unique mechanism, which integrates the responsiveness of passenger cars with motorcycle-like tire lateral force characteristics, underpins the exceptional obstacle avoidance capabilities of actively inward-tilting PMVs.