Pitching motion control of a wheeled mobile robot via full-state linearization and extremum seeking

This paper presents a control strategy for a wheeled mobile robot with variable pitch blades which make it highly move over irregular terrain. A nonlinear controller for the pitching motion to climb a stair is proposed, employing full-state linearization technique together with integral sliding mode control to provide robust performance against model uncertainties such as ground adhesion properties. Furthermore, an extremum seeking technique is used to obtain the reference slip for high friction force between the tires and ground.