Design and multi-objective optimization of an active attitude adjustment mechanism for side-slope agricultural vehicles

This paper proposes a novel active attitude adjustment mechanism (A3M), integrated with a passive balanced rocker suspension (BRS), to address the challenges of rollover risk and terrain adaptability for side-slope agricultural vehicles (SSAVs). The A3M provides adjustable ground clearance, unilateral height adjustment, and lateral body leveling, thereby eliminating the geometric tire-ground contact mismatch and optimizing the pressure distribution with the ground. The mechanism configuration and working principle are described. This study performs dimensional synthesis and NSGA-II-based multi-objective optimization of actuator and link lengths, producing a set of Pareto-optimal parameters. The kinematic predictions show close agreement with multibody dynamics simulations, validating model accuracy. Finite element analysis (FEA) confirmed that the optimized design achieves a more uniform pressure distribution, which helps minimize soil compaction. This work provides a validated design framework and a methodological foundation for implementing active attitude adjustment in slope-operating agricultural vehicles.