Intelligent fractional-order sliding mode control based maneuvering of an autonomous vehicle

This article proposes a new intelligent trajectory tracking control law for the precise maneuvering of an autonomous vehicle in the presence of parametric uncertainties and external disturbances. The controller design includes a fuzzy sliding mode algorithm for smooth motion control subjected to steering saturation and curvature constraints. Along with the Salp Swarm Optimization technique, explored for optimal selection of surface coefficient in fractional order Proportional-Derivative type \(P{D}^{\alpha }\) sliding manifold. The sliding variable on the surface approaches zero in a finite time. Further, the trajectory tracking control rule offers the stability of closed-loop tracking on the predetermined path and ensures finite time convergence to the sliding surface. In addition, to estimate the hitting gain in online mode, a supervisory fuzzy logic controller system is used. Therefore, it is not necessary to determine upper bounds on uncertainty in the dynamic parameters of autonomous vehicles. Lyapunov theory verifies the global asymptotic stability of the entire closed-loop control strategy. The major control issue is the input constraints arising primarily due to the capability of the steering actuating module, which causes significant deviation or vehicle instability. Consequently, it is desirable to design a robust adaptive stable controller, such as Adaptive Backstepping Control (ABC), even though it requires vehicle model information. Therefore, the proposed model-free intelligent sliding mode technique offers better tracking performance and vehicle stability in adverse conditions. Finally, the efficacy of the proposed control technique was confirmed through a comparative analysis based on numerical simulation using MATLAB/SIMULINK and experimental validation using Quanser’s self-driving car module. A quantitative study was conducted to elucidate the superior tracking performance of intelligent control over the traditional SMC and adaptive backstepping control methods.