Dr. Peter Zegelaar

Contributing to the lecture series “vehicle control”, with topics like ABS, ADAS Sensors (vision, radar, lidar), ADAS and automated driving features.

Ford R&A Europe. Working on the development and implementation of partially and highly automated driving features. Focussing on highways and inter-urban roads. As a trainer at Ford Motor Company, I bring expertise and knowledge on topics including automated driving, driver assistance functions, functional safety, and ADAS sensing technology. As a key member of the patent committee at Ford, I annually review around 150 invention disclosures related to automated driving.

I initiated a new lecture series focused on vehicle control, encompassing ABS, lateral control (Electronic Stability Control), and vertical control (Active Suspension), as well as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). I guided and mentored 10 students (9 graduate and 1 PhD) in their research, covering topics such as Cooperative ACC, merging strategies for connected vehicles, traffic density estimation leveraging radar signals, radar-based odometry, and path planning for low-speed manoeuvring.

Ford R&A Europe. Technical Consultant, working on Blind Spot Assist for the 2019 Ford Kuga, a feature that alerts drivers of vehicles in their blind spot and provides steering assistance to avoid collisions. Project Lead for Evasive Steering Assist on the 2018 Ford Focus, using front camera and front radar to detect vehicles ahead and provide steering assistance to avoid a collision. Technical Lead for Active City Stop on the 2011 Ford Focus, an autonomous low-speed braking technology using LIDAR sensing.

As a Technical Expert in Brake Controls at R&A Europe, I managed advanced technology development, specialising in ESC control algorithms and chassis-brake system interaction. I delivered a strategy to integrate active steering with the brake controller. I created a model for generating target yaw rate in vehicles used in all-wheel drive, steering, and brake control. I also designed a handling track for icy conditions, which is carved annually on a frozen lake in northern Sweden

I worked in the Chassis Systems business unit on software/system development for ESC and ABS, using vehicle tests, simulations, and hardware-in-the-loop testing to design and validate new features. I coded in C using integer arithmetic and provided customer support globally. I also developed an analogue valve actuation control for improved comfort and controllability. I delivered ABS software for several models including 2000 Ford Mondeo, 2001 Jaguar X-Type, 2004 Land Rover Discovery, and Range Rover Sport.

Developed SWIFT model with 2 PhD students and under the guidance of Professor Pacjeka, extending the Magic Formula for vibrational analysis. The SWIFT model is now commercially available. My role was the longitudinal and vertical dynamics, created a concept for enveloping obstacles and trough effective inputs (road height, road angle, road curvature). I extended tyre test benches and developed a real-time controller in Pascal. I used Matlab to model and simulate tyre dynamics. I supervised 15 students.

Objective and subjective evaluation of 4 wheel steered vehicles. Modelled a three DOF vehicle with non linear tyre characteristics using Fortran to study vehicle handling characteristics. Comparing simulation results to measurements

Modelled and simulated a quarter car vehicle model using a multi body program (CSSL4) and Fortran. Expanded the model by incorporating a model for dry friction. Studied the impact of dry friction on a McPherson strut.