Output Feedback Active Suspension Control with Higher Order Terminal Sliding Mode

The control of an automotive suspension system using hydraulic actuators is a highly complex nonlinear control task dealing with system nonlinearities, external disturbances, and uncertainties. In this work, an output feedback active suspension control scheme is proposed to achieve a ride comfort while maintaining the road holding for the vehicle. To design the controller, the states of the nonlinear system are first estimated using a highgain observer where the suspension stroke is the only measurable output. The controller is then designed using a recursive derivative nonsingular higher order terminal sliding mode approach that avoids singularity. The practical stability for the closed-loop observer-controller pair is established. Simulation results for the quarter-wheel vehicle over various road conditions demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control in improving the suspension performance in both the time and frequency domains.