ADAPTIVE TRATE TRAJECTORY TRACKING AND PATH FOLLOWING OF WHEELED MOBILE ROBOT

Abstract

Wheeled mobile robots (WMR) are popular in following or tracking a predefined path because of their fast maneuvering and energy saving features as compared to legged mobile robots. This inherent ability of WMRs has enabled them to find their role in space and undersea exploration, nuclear and explosives handling, warehousing, security, agricultural machinery, military, education, mobility for the disabled and personal robots. The task of trajectory tracking is achieved by designing a direct model reference adaptive control (DMRAC) scheme in order to overcome the parametric uncertainties in the dynamic model of WMR by making use of an adaptive law for control parameters. This law is chosen using Lyapunov approach to accomplish asymptotic stability. In order to achieve the initial smoother convergence to the desired track and to reach the target within a specified time, a novel control law for path tracking is used which combines the trajectory tracking with path following. Once again, the effect of parameter uncertainities is overwhelmed through model reference adaptive controller (MRAC). Moreover, the supremacy of adaptive control is also established through simulations by comparing it with a state dependent Riccati equation (SDRE) based optimal controller.