On the Robust Longitudinal Trajectory Tracking for Load Transportation Vehicles on Uneven Terrains

Abstract

The longitudinal trajectory tracking for small Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) subject to real-world disturbances is addressed, by considering an anisotropic ground friction and the variation of its own mass during transportation. A methodology was proposed to perform the design of the controller in the Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) format, which is robust to parametric uncertainties and minimizes output disturbances. Next, a small ground platform for load delivery tasks has been developed, equipped with low-cost navigation sensors and onboard computers. Finally, simulated and real-world experiments illustrate the effectiveness of this application under different scenarios, by combining distinct conditions of friction, payload, and terrain profiles.