A Versatile Control Method for Multi-Agricultural Machine Cooperative Steering Applicable to Two Steering Modes

Abstract

This article aims to address the unnecessary stopping and low efficiency issues present in existing multi-machine cooperative steering control methods. To tackle this challenge, a novel cooperative control approach for multiple agricultural machines is proposed, considering two typical steering modes of farm machinery. This approach encompasses a multi-machine cooperative control framework suitable for both steering modes. Based on the established lateral and longitudinal kinematics models of the farm machines, the method includes a path-tracking controller designed using the pure pursuit and Stanley algorithms, a formation-keeping controller based on PID control, and a T-turn cooperative-steering controller based on a problem-solving approach. To assess the method’s viability, a collaborative simulation platform utilizing CarSim and Simulink was constructed, which conducted simulations for both U-turn and T-turn cooperative steering controls. The simulation results indicate that the proposed control framework and methodology can effectively ensure no collision risk during the U-turn and T-turn cooperative steering processes for three farm machines, eliminating stopping in T-turn, enhancing safety, and improving fuel economy. Compared with traditional sequential control methods, the proposed approach reduced operation time by 17.47 s and increased efficiency by 15.29% in the same scenarios.