Tracking control of mobile robots using saturation feedback controller

A general tracking control problem with saturation constraint for nonholonomic mobile robots is proposed and solved using the backstepping technique. A global result is given in which some artificial assumptions about the linear and the angular velocities of mobile robots from recent literature are dropped. The proposed controller can simultaneously solve both the tracking problem and the regulation problem of mobile robots. With the proposed control laws, mobile robots can now globally follow any path such as a straight line, a circle and the path approaching to the origin using a single controller. Computer simulations are presented which confirm the effectiveness of the tracking control laws. Moreover, practical experimental results concerning the tracking control are reported with saturation constraint for mobile robots.