Path Tracking Control for Autonomous Vehicles Based on an Improved MPC

In this paper, an improved Model Predictive Control (MPC) controller based on fuzzy adaptive weight control is proposed to solve the problem of autonomous vehicle in the process of path tracking. The controller not only ensures the tracking accuracy, but also considers the vehicle dynamic stability in the process of tracking, i.e., the vehicle dynamics model is used as the controller model. Moreover, the problem of driving comfort caused by the application of classical MPC controller when the vehicle is deviated from the target path is solved. This controller is mainly realized by adaptively improving the weight of the cost function in the classical MPC through the fuzzy adaptive control algorithm. A comparative study which compares the proposed controller with the pure-pursuit controller and the classical MPC controller is made: through the CarSim-Matlab/Simulink co-simulations, the results show that this controller presents better tracking performance than the latter ones considering both tracking accuracy and steering smoothness.