Non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) such as construction machinery, agriculture machinery, and mining vehicles operates in demanding environments where steering performance is critical for safety and productivity. Although conventional hydrostatic steering systems are known for their robustness and fail-safe operation, they suffer from significant energy losses and are not easily adaptable to emerging automation technologies.
In response, Vinay Partap Singh designed electro-hydrostatic actuator (EHA) -based steering solutions that replace constant-flow hydraulics with on-demand hydraulic power, eliminating energy losses and enabling more sustainable machine operation. These solutions are built around two complementary system architectures. The first is a fully steer-by-wire concept that removes all mechanical linkages between the steering control and the wheels, using a dual-channel design to ensure that a back-up steering path is always available in the event of a fault. The second is a hybrid configuration that combines an EHA with a customized orbital steering valve, preserving the ability for manual redundant steering while benefiting from the efficiency gains of flow-on-demand operation.
Both architectures are designed to meet stringent international safety standards for steering in non-road mobile machinery, incorporating advanced redundancy strategies to maintain functionality even under critical fault conditions. In addition, Singh’s research explores how technologies based on artificial intelligence can be integrated into steering systems for advanced fault detection, enabling the rapid identification and isolation of failures before they impact machine operation. By merging these safety, efficiency, and intelligence features, the solutions he proposed provide a versatile foundation for the next generation of steering systems, adaptable to a wide range of machine types and operating environments.
“My research results offer a pathway for the NRMM industry to adopt steering systems that are not only safer and more energy-efficient but also compatible with autonomous functions and digital control technologies, supporting broader goals of sustainability and operational efficiency,” he says.
Vinay Partap Singh is originally from India and conducted his doctoral research in the Innovative Hydraulics and Automation (IHA) group at Tampere University. After his doctoral degree he will be working at Danfoss Power Solutions in Denmark – a global leader in steering solutions for non-road mobile machinery – where he continues to advance technologies for the next generation of NRMM steering systems.
Public defence on Friday 26 September
The doctoral dissertation of MSc (Tech) Vinay Partap Singh in the field of engineering titled Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator-Based Steering for Non-Road Mobile Machinery will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at Tampere University at 12 o’clock on Friday 26 September 2025 at Hervanta campus, Konetalo building, in auditorium K1702 (Korkeakoulunkatu 6, Tampere).
The Opponents will be Professor Marcus Geimer from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, and Docent Massimiliano Ruggeri from National Research Council of Italy. The Custos will be Associate Professor Tatiana Minav from the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University.