Design of Gain-Scheduled Lateral Controllers for Autonomous Vehicles

This paper focuses on the design and comparative analysis of speed-dependent lateral control systems for autonomous vehicles, focusing on optimizing vehicular dynamics and passenger comfort to ensure stability and safety. Adapting control systems to varying speeds becomes crucial for maintaining stability and maneuverability as autonomous technologies progress. This study evaluates their effectiveness in real-time navigation scenarios within a simulated environment by applying gain-scheduled linear quadratic regulators and model predictive control. The results show that while traditional controllers, such as Pure Pursuit, perform adequately under constant speed conditions, adaptive model-based algorithms significantly enhance the performance, especially in dynamic driving situations involving speed variations.