Low speed control of an autonomous vehicle using a hybrid fractional order controller

Highly non-linear vehicle dynamics plays an important role in autonomous driving systems, especially in congested traffic situations at very low speeds. Due to this fact, accurate controllers are needed in order to ensure safety during navigation. In this paper, based on a previous fractional order speed control, an improved fractional order control is presented to control a commercial Citroën C3 prototype - which has automatic driving capabilities - at low speeds, which considers a hybrid model of the vehicle. Specifically, two different fractional order PIα controllers are designed to act over the throttle and brake pedals, respectively. Concerning to the uncertain dynamics of the system during the brake action parameters are tuned to design a robust controller. In addition, the system is modeled as hybrid fractional order differential inclusions. Experimental and simulation results, obtained in a real circuit, are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategies for cruise control at low speeds.