Trajectory Tracking of Tractor-Trailer Wheeled Mobile Robots via Dynamic Feedback Linearization in Forward and Backward Motion

Abstract

One type of wheeled mobile robot widely used in public transportation and for carrying high payloads is the tractor-trailer wheeled robots (TTWRs). This study considers a differentially-driven tractor under pure rolling conditions, which is subject to nonholonomic constraints. Controlling a TTWR in both backward and forward motion is challenging due to inherent instability. To address this issue and achieve trajectory tracking control for these systems, this paper employs dynamic feedback linearization (DFL) to overcome the limitations of static feedback linearization (SFL). The system’s response will be examined under various trajectories and initial conditions for both forward and backward motion.