Performance Evaluation of PID, Stanley, and Hybrid (PID with Stanley) Control Algorithms on Bitum Line-Follower Road Coaster

This paper introduces an augmented Stanley-PID controller, termed Hybrid, aimed at enhancing the line tracking accuracy of autonomous road coasters, specifically Bitum. The primary focus lies in implementing precise line tracking control for Bitum, thereby contributing to the advancement of smart autonomous vehicle technologies. Emphasizing the operational requirements of road coasters, our controller was deployed on a non-linear road to ensure that the maximum absolute error of the rear wheel remained below 5~[cm]. Through simulation tests, we validated the efficacy of our proposed algorithm. Comparative analysis was conducted against both PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) and original Stanley controllers. While PID parameters were fine-tuned using the Nicolas-Ziegler method, Stanley's parameters were adjusted as per the recommendations in the original paper. Notably, our proposed method exhibited superior performance, particularly evident during increased speeds, when compared to both PID and Stanley controllers.