Formation control of car-like mobile robots: A Lyapunov function based approach

Abstract

In literature leader — follower strategy has been used extensively for formation control of car-like mobile robots with the control law being derived from the kinematics. This paper takes it a step further and a nonlinear control law is derived using Lyapunov analysis for formation control of car-like mobile robots using robot dynamics. Controller is split into two parts. The first part is the development of a velocity controller for the follower from the error kinematics (linear and angular). The second part involves the use of the dynamics of the robot in the development of a torque controller for both the drive and the steering system of the car-like mobile robot. Unknown quantities like friction, desired accelerations (unmeasured) are computed using an online neural network. Simulations results prove the ability of the controller to effectively stabilize the formation while maintaining the desired relative distance and bearing.