Robust stabilization of a wheeled vehicle: Hybrid feedback control design and experimental validation

In this paper, the problem of robust stabilization of a wheeled vehicle is addressed. The configuration (position and orientation) set of the vehicle is divided into two parts: global and local configuration sets. The novelty of this paper is the design of a hybrid feedback controller that assigns different objectives in the vehicle’s global and local behaviors. Two Lyapunov functions for individual objectives are introduced that allow a hybrid feedback control law to pursue different objectives. In the global sense, it is important to reach the target point as quickly as possible, but once the vehicle reaches is near the goal, a precise maneuvering by rejecting disturbances including tire slippage and measurement noise becomes important. The asymptotical stability and robustness of the closed loop system are assured. The derived control law is validated by simulations and experiments using an autonomous forklift.