VFO tracking and set-point control for an articulated vehicle with off-axle hitched trailer

This paper is devoted to the trajectory tracking and set-point feedback control problems formulated for an articulated tractor-trailer vehicle with off-axle hitching. The Vector Field(s) Orientation (VFO) control method presented in the paper allows treating the two tasks in a unified manner. Proposed concept leads to smooth and non-oscillatory vehicle motion quality together with intuitive geometrical interpretation of particular control components and, as a consequence, simple synthesis of the controller parameters. Numerical verification for the cases of backward pushing a trailer and backward parking maneuvers illustrate the control quality in the closed-loop system.