Mixing input-output pseudolinearization and gain scheduling techniques for stabilization of mobile robots

In this paper, the problems of guiding a mobile robot to follow a straight line and stabilizing the robot at a specific position are solved by utilizing nonlinear control linearization techniques. The guidance control of a mobile robot to follow a straight line is solved by using state-space exact linearization. The stabilizing control problem is formulated as a multi-input multi-output nonlinear system. The input-output pseudolinearization technique is then used to transform this nonlinear system into a pseudo-normal form, which can be easily converted to a linear parameter-varying system. Finally, the authors apply the gain scheduling technique to design the state stabilizing controller for the new formulated linear parameter-varying system. Simulation results show that the proposed methodology is both effective and easy to implement.