Robust control prevents car skidding

The author discusses a system of robust unilateral decoupling of car steering dynamics. Its effect is that the driver has to concern himself much less with disturbance attenuation. The important quick reaction to disturbance torques is done by the automatic feedback system. The yaw dynamics no longer interfere with the path-following task of the driver. The safety advantages have been demonstrated in experiments with a test vehicle. By empirical improvements, we have modified the controller such that it preserves the robust decoupling advantages for the first 0.5 seconds after a disturbance and then returns the steering authority gradually back to the driver.