Investigation of automatic path tracking control using four-wheel steering vehicle

This paper investigates the use of a four-wheel steering system for the control of a vehicle, in the context of automatic path tracking. A four-wheel steering system provides two independent control inputs which can significantly enhance handling and stability. In this paper, the lateral deviation at the front and rear virtual points are proposed to be state variables in the control system design procedure instead of lateral deviation at the center of gravity and yaw deviation in order to decouple lateral and yaw motion during path tracking maneuvers. Simulations of straight and curved path tracking are conducted to investigate the validity of the proposed control system