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A geometric approach to target convergence and obstacle avoidance of a nonstandard tractor‐trailer robot
Author(s) -
Prasad Avinesh,
Sharma Bibhya,
Vanualailai Jito,
Kumar Sandeep A.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of robust and nonlinear control
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.361
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1099-1239
pISSN - 1049-8923
DOI - 10.1002/rnc.5021
Subject(s) - trailer , control theory (sociology) , angular velocity , underactuation , convergence (economics) , obstacle avoidance , obstacle , nonholonomic system , robot , position (finance) , computer science , control engineering , mathematics , engineering , control (management) , mobile robot , artificial intelligence , physics , classical mechanics , computer network , finance , political science , economic growth , law , economics
Summary In this article, a solution to target convergence and obstacle avoidance problem of an underactuated nonstandard n ‐trailer robot is proposed. With a new geometric approach, we propose autonomous velocity and steering angle controllers for the car‐like tractor robot such that the tractor‐trailer system moves from an initial position to a designated target. The proposed method simultaneously takes into account the dynamics constraints of the system and also ensures that the robot avoids any fixed obstacles on its way to the target. We also generalize the results to control the motion of the nonstandard n ‐trailer system with an arbitrary number of passive trailers, a mathematically challenging nonlinear underactuated system, given that the angular velocity of a trailer is dependent on the angular velocity of the preceding trailer. The effectiveness of the new geometric approach and the stabilizing control inputs is verified using computer simulations.