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Actuators
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Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles
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Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles

A special issue of Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825). This special issue belongs to the section "Actuators for Surface Vehicles".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 16520

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Han Sol Kim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Dankook University, Yongin-si, Republic of Korea
Interests: control engineering; autonomous driving vehicles; unmanned aerial vehicles; artificial intelligence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, the design of unmanned vehicles is a prominent topic of investigation, with a large range of applications such as civil and military activities, agriculture, transport, delivery operations, and surveillance.

For example, remotely operated or autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been used in recent military operations around the world; unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), the most well known of which are remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), can also be applied in several commercial field operations, e.g., oil and gas extraction in ultra-deep waters.

Unmanned vehicles are being developed to operate in various environments, including in the air, with UAVs; underwater, with UUVs or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs); and on the surface of the ground, with unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs).

Dynamics and motion control techniques are very important for the design and construction of efficient vehicle systems to enhance safety and reliability. This Special Issue will deal with novel schemes for dynamics analysis and control techniques for aerial, underwater, and ground vehicle systems. We will discuss the recent advances and future challenges associated with the design issues of unmanned vehicles. The topics of interest within the scope of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Vehicle control;
  • Kinematics and vehicle dynamics;
  • Path planning and collision avoidance;
  • Sensor and actuator systems;
  • Steering, brakes, dampers and electronic control units;
  • Fault detection and fault-tolerant control;
  • Electric vehicles, intelligent vehicles, autonomous vehicles;
  • Trajectory control;
  • Flight dynamics and control;
  • Linear and nonlinear control synthesis;
  • Attitude dynamics and stabilization.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Han Sol Kim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Actuators is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • unmanned vehicle
  • vehicle dynamic modeling and control
  • remotely operated vehicle
  • unnamed aerial vehicle
  • actuator and sensor faults

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 2946 KiB  
Article
Fast Multimodal Trajectory Prediction for Vehicles Based on Multimodal Information Fusion
by Likun Ge, Shuting Wang and Guangqi Wang
Actuators 2025, 14(3), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14030136 - 10 Mar 2025
Viewed by 555
Abstract
Trajectory prediction plays a crucial role in level autonomous driving systems, as real-time and accurate trajectory predictions can significantly enhance the safety of autonomous vehicles and the robustness of the autonomous driving system. We propose a novel trajectory prediction model that adopts the [...] Read more.
Trajectory prediction plays a crucial role in level autonomous driving systems, as real-time and accurate trajectory predictions can significantly enhance the safety of autonomous vehicles and the robustness of the autonomous driving system. We propose a novel trajectory prediction model that adopts the encoder–decoder paradigm. In the encoder, we introduce a dual-thread interaction relationship encoding method based on a sparse graph attention mechanism, which allows our model to aggregate richer multimodal interaction information. Additionally, we introduce a non-autoregressive query generation method that reduces the model’s inference time by approximately 80% through the parallel generation of decoding queries. Finally, we propose a multi-stage decoder that generates more accurate and reasonable predicted trajectories by predicting trajectory reference points and performing spatial and posture optimization on the predicted trajectories. Comparative experiments with existing advanced algorithms demonstrate that our method improves the minimum Average Displacement Error (minADE), minimum Final Displacement Error (minFDE), and Miss Rate (MR) by 10.3%, 10.3%, and 14.5%, respectively, compared to the average performance. Lastly, we validate the effectiveness of the various modules proposed in this paper through ablation studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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37 pages, 4184 KiB  
Article
Swarm Confrontation Algorithm for UGV Swarm with Quantity Advantage by a Novel MSRM-MAPOCA Training Method
by Huanli Gao, Chongming Zhao, Xinghe Yu, Shuangfei Ren and He Cai
Actuators 2025, 14(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14010015 - 5 Jan 2025
Viewed by 830
Abstract
This paper considers the swarm confrontation problem for two teams of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). Different from most of the existing works where the two teams are identical, we consider the scenario of two heterogenous teams. In particular, one team has the quantity [...] Read more.
This paper considers the swarm confrontation problem for two teams of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). Different from most of the existing works where the two teams are identical, we consider the scenario of two heterogenous teams. In particular, one team has the quantity advantage while the other has the resilience advantage. Nevertheless, it is verified by standard tests to show that the overall capabilities of these two heterogenous teams are almost the same. The objective of this article is to design a swarm confrontation algorithm for the team with quantity advantage based on the multi-agent reinforcement learning training method. To address the issue of sparse reward which would result in inefficient learning and poor training performance, a novel macro states reward mechanism based on multi-agent posthumous credit assignment (MSRM-MAPOCA) is proposed in this paper, which together with fine-tuned smooth reward design can fully exploit the advantage in quantity and thus leads to outstanding training performance. Based on the Unity 3D platform, comprehensive direct and indirect comparative tests have been conducted, where the results show that the swarm confrontation algorithm proposed in this article triumphs over other classic or up-to-date swarm confrontation algorithms in terms of both win rate and efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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16 pages, 15354 KiB  
Article
Experimental Activity with a Rover for Underwater Inspection
by Erika Ottaviano, Agnese Testa, Pierluigi Rea, Marco Saccucci, Assunta Pelliccio and Maurizio Ruggiu
Actuators 2025, 14(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14010007 - 28 Dec 2024
Viewed by 951
Abstract
The inspection of underwater structures is often hampered by harsh environmental conditions, limited access, high costs, and inherent safety issues. This paper focuses on the use of an underwater rover to implement automated imaging techniques for facilitating inspections. The application of such techniques [...] Read more.
The inspection of underwater structures is often hampered by harsh environmental conditions, limited access, high costs, and inherent safety issues. This paper focuses on the use of an underwater rover to implement automated imaging techniques for facilitating inspections. The application of such techniques can significantly improve the state of monitoring, reduce operational complexity, and partially offset the financial burden of periodic inspections. To date, there has been very little work on image-based techniques for detecting and quantifying the extent of structural damage, particularly in the submerged part of marine structures. This work seeks to address this knowledge gap through the development and performance evaluation of underwater photogrammetry. The development of the research has been carried out using the FIFISH V6 rover with the Brave 7 camera, which has all the characteristics required for successful photogrammetry. To connect the sensor to the rover, a support was designed accordingly. Finally, experimental photogrammetry tests of an anchor were carried out and compared, both in and out of the sea environment, to validate the model presented. The results obtained so far confirm the validity of the proposed approach and encourage the future development of this apparatus for underwater inspections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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26 pages, 9081 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Driving Stability of a Multi-Model Driven Electric-Tracked Intelligent Detection Device
by Yitian Wang, Huazhen Liu, Linsen Song, Longkai Liang, Yiwen Zhang, Zhenglei Yu, Chunbai Liu, Yanzhong Hao, Meichao Xu, Xinming Zhang and Siying Li
Actuators 2024, 13(12), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13120527 - 20 Dec 2024
Viewed by 556
Abstract
The electric-tracked intelligent detection device is extensively used in engineering exploration and construction. However, in unstructured and complex terrains, its stability is challenged by a high center of gravity and poor road conditions, making the enhancement of its stability analysis crucial. This study [...] Read more.
The electric-tracked intelligent detection device is extensively used in engineering exploration and construction. However, in unstructured and complex terrains, its stability is challenged by a high center of gravity and poor road conditions, making the enhancement of its stability analysis crucial. This study is based on tracked vehicle models, constructing kinematic and dynamic equations for the device, and developing virtual and physical prototypes. Combining theoretical analysis, virtual simulations, and physical testing, the study analyzes motion parameters under typical conditions through numerical calculations and simulations. It examines the device’s dynamic characteristics during rapid turns in unstructured terrains. The research identifies variations in motion parameters, determines dynamic stability thresholds, and refines stability analysis methods applicable to the device, establishing evaluation criteria with multiple parameters and weight vectors. In conclusion, the developed models and prototypes help us understand the electric-tracked intelligent detection device’s dynamic characteristics and instability thresholds, enhancing its stability and operational efficiency and providing a theoretical foundation for related engineering machinery development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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16 pages, 4856 KiB  
Article
Multistep Prediction Analysis of Pure Pursuit Method for Automated Guided Vehicles in Aircraft Industry
by Biling Wang, Gaojian Fan, Xinming Zhang, Liangjie Gao, Xiaobo Wang and Weijie Fu
Actuators 2024, 13(12), 518; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13120518 - 15 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1001
Abstract
The pure pursuit (PP) method has been widely employed in automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to address path tracking challenges. However, the traditional pure pursuit method exhibits certain limitations in tracking performance. For instance, selecting a look-ahead point that is too close can lead [...] Read more.
The pure pursuit (PP) method has been widely employed in automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to address path tracking challenges. However, the traditional pure pursuit method exhibits certain limitations in tracking performance. For instance, selecting a look-ahead point that is too close can lead to oscillations during tracking, while selecting one that is too far away can result in slow tracking and corner-cutting issues. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a multistep prediction pure pursuit method. First, the look-ahead distance calculation equation is adjusted by incorporating path curvature, allowing it to adaptively adjust according to road conditions. Next, to avoid oscillations caused by constant changes in the look-ahead distance, this paper adopts the prediction concept of model predictive control (MPC) to make multistep predictions for the pure pursuit method. The final input is derived from a linear weighted combination of the multistep prediction results. Simulation analyses and experiments demonstrate that the multistep predictive pure pursuit method significantly enhances the tracking performance of the traditional pure pursuit method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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28 pages, 6773 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Analysis and Equivalent Modeling for a Four-Axle Vehicle
by Dequan Zeng, Wei Luo, Yinquan Yu, Yiming Hu, Peizhi Zhang, Giuseppe Carbone, Dongfu Xie, Huafu Fang and Letian Gao
Actuators 2024, 13(12), 473; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13120473 - 23 Nov 2024
Viewed by 883
Abstract
This paper focuses on a comprehensive study of a four-axle vehicle, including dynamics analysis, equivalent modeling methods, and their comparison. Firstly, a linear two-degree lateral dynamic model is established, which has four drive axles and two steer axles. Secondly, the mathematical transfer function [...] Read more.
This paper focuses on a comprehensive study of a four-axle vehicle, including dynamics analysis, equivalent modeling methods, and their comparison. Firstly, a linear two-degree lateral dynamic model is established, which has four drive axles and two steer axles. Secondly, the mathematical transfer function expressions for the yaw rate and the centroid sideslip angle were derived on the basis of the model. The steady-state parameters, such as yaw rate gain Gγss, centroid sideslip angle gain Gβss, stability factor Kn, equivalent axial distance ln, and equivalent centroid sideslip angle coefficient Kn’ were obtained by using the transfer functions. Then, the steady-state and transient characteristics are roundly discussed, including steady-state parameters, system root trajectory, frequency domain, and time domain. Some recommendations for the four-axle vehicle’s parameter design are also given. Finally, for a more simple and efficient analysis of response characteristics of four-axle vehicles and even n (n > 4) axle vehicles, the equivalent model is developed for the four-axle vehicle, and comprehensive analyses are presented with four equalization methods, which are based on the inner heart of the approximation triangle, the outer heart of the approximation triangle, the center of gravity of the approximation triangle and the compensation point. Following a thorough analysis of the four, it is determined that the inner approximation triangle solution approach is most suited for four-axle vehicles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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16 pages, 22975 KiB  
Article
A Path Planning and Tracking Control Algorithm for Multi-Autonomous Mobile Robot Systems Based on Spatiotemporal Conflicts and Nonholonomic Constraints
by Zixiang Shen, Haibo Du, Lanlin Yu, Wenwu Zhu and Min Zhu
Actuators 2024, 13(10), 399; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13100399 - 4 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1746
Abstract
This paper proposes a path planning and tracking control algorithm for multi-autonomous mobile robot (multi-AMR) systems that addresses the challenges posed by AMRs with a kinematic model. The proposed path planning algorithm is divided into two layers. The upper layer of the algorithm [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a path planning and tracking control algorithm for multi-autonomous mobile robot (multi-AMR) systems that addresses the challenges posed by AMRs with a kinematic model. The proposed path planning algorithm is divided into two layers. The upper layer of the algorithm detects spatiotemporal conflicts between the paths of any two AMRs using a spatiotemporal conflict detection tree and the Separating Axis Theorem. The lower layer of the algorithm takes into account the kinematic model of the AMRs, ensuring that the generated paths satisfy the nonholonomic constraints. Furthermore, the lower layer introduces weighted adjustments to the heuristic evaluation, significantly improving the efficiency of the planning process. The proposed tracking control algorithm accounts for the kinematic model of AMRs and various constraints, achieving precise path tracking through model predictive control. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed path planning and tracking control algorithm can efficiently generate conflict-free paths and achieve precise tracking control that satisfies the nonholonomic constraints of multi-AMR systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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17 pages, 2499 KiB  
Article
Incremental Sliding Mode Control for Predefined-Time Stability of a Fixed-Wing Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Vehicle Attitude Control System
by Jujiang Liu and Yusong Tan
Actuators 2024, 13(9), 371; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13090371 - 20 Sep 2024
Viewed by 968
Abstract
This paper presents a novel incremental sliding mode control scheme to address the attitude-tracking issue in both the helicopter and airplane modes of an electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, guaranteeing the stabilization of the attitude-tracking error within a predefined time. Firstly, an [...] Read more.
This paper presents a novel incremental sliding mode control scheme to address the attitude-tracking issue in both the helicopter and airplane modes of an electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, guaranteeing the stabilization of the attitude-tracking error within a predefined time. Firstly, an incremental model of the vehicle’s attitude control system with external disturbances is established. The high-order terms of the incremental model and instantaneous perturbations are retained as lumped terms rather than directly discarding them to ensure the accuracy of the incremental model. Then, a novel nonsingular sliding surface is developed. Once the ideal sliding motion is established, the states on the sliding surface will converge to the equilibrium point within a predefined time. Furthermore, a predefined-time incremental sliding mode controller is developed by using sliding mode control and incremental control techniques. It effectively reduces the reliance on the model information and attenuates the effects of external disturbances. The predefined-time stability of the entire controlled system is rigorously proven using Lyapunov theory. Finally, numerical simulation examples verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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21 pages, 12351 KiB  
Article
Design and Optimization of a Bennett–Spherical Scissor Mechanism Suitable for Driving Aerial–Aquatic Rotor Deformation
by Chengrong Du and Dongbiao Zhao
Actuators 2024, 13(8), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13080318 - 21 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1143
Abstract
This paper aims to design a deformable mechanism to drive amphibious rotor blade deform from an aerial shape to an aquatic one. The Bennett four-bar and spherical four-bar mechanisms are used as the basic units (B unit and S unit) to form the [...] Read more.
This paper aims to design a deformable mechanism to drive amphibious rotor blade deform from an aerial shape to an aquatic one. The Bennett four-bar and spherical four-bar mechanisms are used as the basic units (B unit and S unit) to form the Bennett–spherical spatial scissor unit (BS unit). By analyzing the kinematic characteristics of the BS unit, it is found that the BS unit can achieve the spatial deformation of expansion and torsion, effectively improving the rotor’s performance in water and air media. The wing rib support structure, which is fixed to the BS unit linkage, is designed. The coordinate transformation method describes the blade shape in aerial and aquatic modes using BS unit and rib parameters. To improve the rotor blade performance in air and water, the rotor blade design is carried out under the NSGA-II framework with BS parameters as the design variables. The Gaussian regression and CFD methods are applied to build a surrogate model to reduce the computational cost. The results show that the expansion–torsional deformation of the BS unit can effectively increase the air and water compatibility of the rotor blades. When the rotor is an aerial shape, the BS mechanism extends and decreases the torsion to increase the lift and efficiency. When it is deformed to an aquatic shape, the BS mechanism reduces its length and increases the torsion to reduce the torque effectively. The BS scissor unit and the design method can be effectively applied in the design of deformable rotor blades. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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25 pages, 8268 KiB  
Article
Simulation Training System for Parafoil Motion Controller Based on Actor–Critic RL Approach
by Xi He, Jingnan Liu, Jing Zhao, Ronghua Xu, Qi Liu, Jincheng Wan and Gang Yu
Actuators 2024, 13(8), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13080280 - 25 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1135
Abstract
The unique ram air aerodynamic shape and control rope pulling course of the parafoil system make it difficult to realize its precise control. At present, the commonly used control methods of the parafoil system include proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control, model predictive control, and adaptive [...] Read more.
The unique ram air aerodynamic shape and control rope pulling course of the parafoil system make it difficult to realize its precise control. At present, the commonly used control methods of the parafoil system include proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control, model predictive control, and adaptive control. The control precision of PID control and model predictive control is low, while the adaptive control has the problems of complexity and high cost. This study proposes a new method to improve the control precision of the parafoil system by establishing a parafoil motion simulation training system that trains the neural network controllers based on actor–critic reinforcement learning (RL). Simulation results verify the feasibility of the proposed parafoil motion-control-simulation training system. Furthermore, the test results of the real flight experiment based on the motion controller trained by the proximal policy optimization (PPO) algorithm are presented, which are close to the simulation results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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20 pages, 7400 KiB  
Article
A Simple Curvature-Based Backward Path-Tracking Control for a Mobile Robot with N Trailers
by Tianrui Zhao, Weining Huang, Pengjie Xu, Wei Zhang, Peixing Li and Yanzheng Zhao
Actuators 2024, 13(7), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13070237 - 25 Jun 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1293
Abstract
This paper introduces a two-tier feedback control law for the path tracking of a mobile robot equipped with N on-axle trailers. Initially, through a recursive design process, the curvature-tracking challenge is converted into stabilizing the joint angles at predefined reference values. This design [...] Read more.
This paper introduces a two-tier feedback control law for the path tracking of a mobile robot equipped with N on-axle trailers. Initially, through a recursive design process, the curvature-tracking challenge is converted into stabilizing the joint angles at predefined reference values. This design approach is straightforward and can be easily extended to configurations with multiple trailers. Using input-to-state stability analysis, we demonstrate the asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system, which is structured in cascade form. Furthermore, we reformulate the path-tracking problem as a curvature-planning challenge and propose an algorithm to determine the desired curvature for the tail trailer. The simulation results validate the effectiveness of this novel algorithm in truck-trailer systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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34 pages, 11051 KiB  
Article
Integrated Spatial Kinematics–Dynamics Model Predictive Control for Collision-Free Autonomous Vehicle Tracking
by Weishan Yang, Yixin Su, Yuepeng Chen and Cheng Lian
Actuators 2024, 13(4), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13040153 - 18 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1789
Abstract
The development of intelligent transportation technology has provided a significant impetus for autonomous driving technology. Currently, autonomous vehicles based on Model Predictive Control (MPC) employ motion control strategies based on sampling time, which fail to fully utilize the spatial information of obstacles. To [...] Read more.
The development of intelligent transportation technology has provided a significant impetus for autonomous driving technology. Currently, autonomous vehicles based on Model Predictive Control (MPC) employ motion control strategies based on sampling time, which fail to fully utilize the spatial information of obstacles. To address this issue, this paper proposes a dual-layer MPC vehicle collision-free trajectory tracking control strategy that integrates spatial kinematics and vehicle dynamics. To fully utilize the spatial information of obstacles, we designed a vehicle model based on spatial kinematics, enabling the upper-layer MPC to plan collision avoidance trajectories based on distance sampling. To improve the accuracy and safety of trajectory tracking, we designed an 8-degree-of-freedom vehicle dynamic model. This allows the lower-layer MPC to consider lateral stability and roll stability during trajectory tracking. In collision avoidance trajectory tracking experiments using three scenarios, compared to two advanced time-based algorithms, the trajectories planned by the proposed algorithm in this paper exhibited predictability. The proposed algorithm can initiate collision avoidance at predetermined positions and can avoid collisions in predetermined directions, with all state variables within safe ranges. In terms of time efficiency, it also outperformed the comparative algorithms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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20 pages, 7690 KiB  
Article
Trajectory Re-Planning and Tracking Control for a Tractor–Trailer Mobile Robot Subject to Multiple Constraints
by Tianrui Zhao, Peibo Li, Yu Yuan, Lin Zhang and Yanzheng Zhao
Actuators 2024, 13(3), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/act13030109 - 8 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2352
Abstract
Autonomous tractor–trailer robots possess a broad spectrum of applications but pose significant challenges in control due to their nonlinear and underactuated dynamics. Unlike the tractor, the motion of the trailer cannot be directly actuated, which often results in a deviation from the intended [...] Read more.
Autonomous tractor–trailer robots possess a broad spectrum of applications but pose significant challenges in control due to their nonlinear and underactuated dynamics. Unlike the tractor, the motion of the trailer cannot be directly actuated, which often results in a deviation from the intended path. In this study, we introduce a novel method for generating and following trajectories that circumvent obstacles, tailored for a tractor–trailer robotic system constrained by multiple factors. Firstly, leveraging the state information of both the obstacles and the desired trajectory, we formulate an improved trajectory for obstacle avoidance using the nonlinear least squares method. Subsequently, we propose an innovative tracking controller that integrates a universal barrier function with a state transformation strategy. This amalgamation facilitates the accurate tracking of the prescribed trajectory. Our theoretical analysis substantiates that the proposed control methodology ensures exponential convergence of the line-of-sight (LOS) distance and angle tracking errors, while enhancing the transient performance. To validate the efficacy of our approach, we present a series of simulation results, which demonstrate the applicability of the developed control strategy in managing the complex dynamics of tractor–trailer robots. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dynamics and Motion Control of Unmanned Aerial/Underwater/Ground Vehicles)
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