Modular Drive Architecture for Software-Defined Vehicles Enabled by Power-packet-basedSensorless Control

Researchers Shiu Mochiyama and Rikuto Kawasome have published a paper proposing a radical new architecture for electric vehicle drive systems. Their "Modular Drive Architecture for Software-Defined Vehicles" leverages a power-packet-based dispatching system to achieve complete hardware-software separation. The key innovation is a sensorless control method that estimates critical motor states—winding current and rotor angle—solely from physical quantities measured on the vehicle side. This eliminates the need for any physical sensors within the drive module itself, reducing it to a passive actuator.

By removing sensors and complex signal wiring between modules and the vehicle body, the architecture dramatically simplifies vehicle design and manufacturing. Control logic becomes centralized in the vehicle's software layer, while hardware modules communicate via a standardized packet protocol. This approach addresses major constraints in current integrated in-wheel drive implementations, where decentralized control units and extensive wiring limit flexibility. The proposed system represents a significant step toward fully standardized, plug-and-play platforms that could accelerate innovation in electrified mobility.