Parking Robot Path-Tracking System Based on Discrete PID Algorithm

To improve the space utilization rates of intelligent stereo garages, their key execution equipment—parking robots—must be highly flexible; therefore, the chassis of parking robots use steering wheel systems. However, this design increases the complexity of robot motion control and path-tracking systems. Because of the large sizes of parking robots, large position and angle deviations can lead to derailment events, posing significant risk to users. Thus, in this study, based on the characteristics required for parking robots, a diagonally arranged parking robot with double steering wheels was developed and its kinematic model was established using the velocity–geometry method. For the positioning of the robot in a garage, a fusion positioning algorithm based on quick response (QR) codes and track calculation was used, considering the requirements of real-time response and accuracy. A discrete proportional-integral-derivative (PID) path-tracking algorithm for the synchronous compensation of the position and angle deviations was also devised. Using the Visual C++ platform, a path-tracking system that uses an industrial computer and motion control card was developed. Experiments on the path-tracking capability of the parking robot showed that, using the discrete PID path-tracking algorithm, it can track a planned path well. On Z- and U-type paths, its maximum tracking deviations were reduced by 84.8% and 64.0%, compared with the unused path-tracking system, reaching 10.4 mm and 10.9 mm, respectively. Thus, the tracking accuracy was significantly improved, proving that the developed robot well satisfies the path-tracking requirements of parking robots.