Geometrically motivated set-point control strategy for the standard N-trailer vehicle

The paper presents a novel control strategy for the problem of set-point feedback control for an articulated vehicle consisting of the unicycle-like tractor followed by the N passive semi-trailers. The concept results from geometrical interpretations of the vehicle model and the way in which the velocity components propagate along the kinematic chain. The control strategy is formulated for the original vehicle configuration space not involving any model transformations or approximations. The solution proposed is characterized by the fast and non-oscillatory convergence of the vehicle to the desired configuration. Formal considerations are examined by the simulations of backward parking maneuvers with 3-trailer vehicle, where the control input limitations of the tractor are preserved by using a simple scaling procedure.