Tracking and set-point VFO control for an articulated mobile robot with on-axle hitched trailer

The paper presents unified framework of feedback motion control design with the Vector Field(s) Orientation (VFO) method for the articulated tractor-semitrailer vehicle in a context of trajectory tracking as well as set-point control problems. The work is an extension of the VFO control method for the nonholonomic systems with higher-dimensional state vector. Obtained control algorithm has an intuitive geometrical interpretation of particular control components yielding smooth and natural vehicle motion quality together with the simple controller parametric synthesis. Theoretical considerations are confirmed by simulation results obtained for the tasks of backward pushing a trailer and parallel parking maneuvers.