Investigation of trajectory tracking control algorithms for autonomous mobile platforms: theory and simulation

This paper considers the problem of trajectory tracking control design for autonomous mobile platforms. A solution to the problem of controlling these underactuated autonomous vehicles is proposed based on way point guidance approach combined with model reference trajectory control method. Our proposed tracking controller basically can be decomposed into two parts: i) a geometry task, which uses the model reference of converging the autonomous vehicles to the circle of acceptance of the way point and ii) a dynamics assignment task, where the way point is assigned to the reference path with a speed profile that move on the desired trajectory. At the same time the way point has its own dynamics for describing the motion, which is also associated with differential equation. We then demonstrate how way point guidance approach can be combined with model reference control law to provide the control objective to the problem of trajectory tracking. Our proposed controller is aimed to provide a solution to the position tracking problem for a fairly general class of underactuated autonomous vehicles that is applicable to motion in two and three dimensional spaces. Finally the proposed control algorithm is validated through computer simulations. This paper concludes with various simulation results and suggestions for further research.