Path Tracking of Wheeled Mobile Robots Based on Dynamic Prediction Model

In the field of path tracking control for wheeled mobile robots, researchers generally believe that the motion of robots meets non-holonomic constraints. However, the robot may sideslip by centrifugal force when it is steering. This kind of slip is usually uncontrollable and dangerous. In order to prevent sideslip and improve the performance of path tracking control, we propose a controller based on tire mechanics. Moreover, the new controller is based on the model predictive control, and this control method has proven to be suitable for path tracking of wheeled mobile robots. The proposed controller was verified by simulation and compared with a model predictive controller based on kinematics (non-holonomic constraints). As for the simulation results, the maximum values of displacement error, heading error, lateral velocity, and slip angle of the dynamic-based model predictive controller are 0.2086 m, 0.1609 rad, 0.1546 m/s, and 0.0576 rad, respectively. Compared with the kinematics-based model predictive controller, the maximum values of the above-mentioned parameters of the dynamic-based controller reduce by 86.55%, 72.25%, 96.30%, and 90.02%, respectively. The above-mentioned results show that the proposed controller can effectively improve the accuracy of path tracking control and avoid sideslip.