Automotive 8-DOF Simulink Model for Vehicle Dynamics Simulation

In this article, we present an 8-degree-of-freedom Simulink model for automotive applications. The model architecture implements vehicle dynamics through interconnected subsystems representing sprung mass motions (3 translational + 3 rotational DOFs) and unsprung mass motions (4 vertical DOFs), utilizing Simulink blocks for force calculations, integration operations, and state-space representations. This model supports various vehicle dynamics control studies and simulation research by enabling numerical integration of dynamic equations through ODE solvers within the Simulink environment. Through this model configuration, researchers can simulate and evaluate different automotive control algorithms using PID controllers, state-feedback implementations, or model predictive control blocksets, optimize vehicle performance parameters via parameter sweep simulations, and study vehicle responses under diverse driving scenarios through customized input profiles. Additionally, the modular design allows testing new automotive components through subsystem replacement, evaluating integrated systems via co-simulation techniques, and conducting system-level comprehensive assessments using performance index calculations. The model structure employs S-function blocks for custom dynamics equations and MATLAB Function blocks for real-time data processing, providing a robust and flexible tool supporting research and development in vehicle dynamics with configurable fidelity levels through parameter tuning interfaces.