Synthesis of nonlinear path tracking controllers for an Off-Road Four-Wheeled robotic vehicle

Abstract

This BEPE proposal requests to Mr. Rafael Cordeiro an internship in the Instituto Superior Técnico (Técnico Lisboa) at Lisbon, Portugal. Mr. Cordeiro Ph.D. working plan (FAPESP Process 2014/06610-8) is founded in a joint work between UNICAMP, CTI-Campinas, Heudiasyc and Técnico Lisboa aiming the development of path tracking techniques for off-road robotic vehicles in extreme terrain conditions. The Ph.D. proposal foresaw two internships: 1) a six-month internship in Heudiasyc Lab at Compiègne, France, and 2) a six-month internship in Técnico Lisboa, Portugal.From March 2015 to September 2015, the student developed the first BEPE project (FAPESP Process 2014/27240-4). The overall objective was to obtain state-observers capable of providing estimation of the tire-ground interaction forces acting on each wheel of the vehicle. Based on the good results obtained in the first internship, this new BEPE project intends to use the information provided by the estimators to synthesize path tracking controllers to avoid tire forces saturation during driving under off-road conditions, in which lack of adherence is frequent.In Portugal the student will be supervised by Prof. José Raul Azinheira from the Técnico Lisboa. Prof. Azinheira has been collaborating with the advisors if the student since 1998, being a specialist with many important contributions in path tracking control, mainly for aerial robotic vehicles, but also in ground vehicles, including works with Mr. Cordeiro during his M.Sc. project. This proposal is for a six-month internship starting in 1st April 2016, in which the student aims the development of nonlinear path tracking controllers under off-road conditions.