Trajectory Tracking Based on Backstepping Sliding Mode Control for Underactuated USV

Unmanned surface vessel (USV) has been widely applied due to its advantages in the maritime security inspection and resources exploration. As a complex nonlinear system, the trajectory tracking of USV requires the controller to achieve fast tracking for a given target, and at the same time, the controller needs to have strong anti-interference capability due to the complex water surface conditions with many uncertainties and disturbances. In this paper, a backstepping sliding mode control design method for USV is proposed, and it is used to realize the trajectory tracking problem of USV. The asymptotic stability of the control system is proved by theoretical derivation, while numerical simulation is used to verify that the unmanned boat achieves the tracking control effect of open trajectory and closed trajectory in the presence of external disturbances. The simulation results show that the designed controller can track the set target quickly and accurately, and has strong disturbance resistance in the case of periodic disturbances.