Nonlinear Robust Control of Trajectory-Following for Autonomous Ground Electric Vehicles

Abstract

This chapter proposes a nonlinear robust H-infinity control approach to enhance the trajectory-following capabilities of autonomous ground electric vehicles (AGEV). Given the inherent influence of driving maneuvers and road conditions on vehicle trajectory dynamics, the primary objective is to address the control challenges associated with trajectory-following, including parametric uncertainties, system nonlinearities, and external disturbance. Firstly, taking into account parameter uncertainties associated with the tire’s physical limits, the system dynamics of the AGEV and its uncertain vehicle trajectory-following system are modeled and constructed. Subsequently, an augmented system for control-oriented vehicle trajectory-following is developed. Finally, the design of the nonlinear robust H-infinity controller (NRC) for the vehicle trajectory-following system is carried out, which is designed based on the H-infinity performance index and incorporates nonlinear compensation to meet the requirements of the AGEV system. The controller design involves solving a set of linear matrix inequalities derived from quadratic H-infinity performance and Lyapunov stability. To validate the efficacy of the proposed controller, simulations are conducted using a high-fidelity CarSim® full-vehicle model in scenarios involving double lane change and serpentine maneuvers. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed NRC outperforms both the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller and the robust H-infinity controller (RHC) in terms of vehicle trajectory-following performance.