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A diaphragm-type, strain-gage, surface-slope sensor has been designed for off-road vehicles. The sensor is capable of continuously measuring surface slopes in longitudinal and lateral directions simultaneously. Instrumentation amplifiers with low-pass filters were used for signal processing. Laboratory tests showed that the sensor had satisfactory sensitivity, linearity, and dynamic characteristics. Potential applications of the slope sensor include studies of vehicle mobility, stability, tractive performance, and safety.

Tractive efficiency (TE) and lateral stability were testes on a DewEze MC70 highway mower with three types of tires under two different inflation pressures. A data acquisition system was developed to measure 12 variables including surface slopes in the longitudinal and lateral directions. Results of field tests showed that one tire type outperformed the other two types and the lower inflation outperformed the higher inflation pressure in TE. The tests on side slopes showed no significant difference in lateral stability among the three types of tires or between two inflation pressures.