Asymptotic path following control of tractor-trailers with off-axle hitching

In this work, the forward/backward path-following control problems are investigated for general tractor-trailers towing several off-hooked trailers. For the forward case, a control law is derived based only on the measurements of tractor's position and orientation, guaranteeing asymptotical convergence of the tractor to the desired path with bounded relative orientations of all bodies. For the backward case, a control scheme is constructed based on the measurements of position of the last trailer and the orientations of all bodies, ensuring asymptotical convergence of the last trailer to the desired path with bounded relative orientations of all bodies. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed path following control laws.