Fuzzy sliding model control approach for steering system of the tracked snow groomer considering the sliding characteristics

The snow groomer is an important equipment in ski resorts to build and maintain high-quality snow trails. Due to the special operating environment, there is less research data on the dynamics analysis and vehicle control of the snow groomer. Therefore, combined with the characteristics of the snow groomer, the mechanism of the steering motion process of the snow groomer is analyzed in this paper. The ideal steering model of the snow groomer and the steering model considering slip and slide characteristics are established respectively. The model is analyzed, and the relationship between the relative steering radius and slip degree, as well as between slide degree and track force in the steering process of the snow groomer, is obtained. The two models are compared and analyzed, revealing that the steering resistance of the steering model considering slip and sliding is smaller during the steering process. Subsequently, the driver’s driving intention is decoupled into the acceleration signal and steering signal during the steering process of the snow groomer, which is used to control the vehicle speed and yaw rate respectively. The designed PID controller and fuzzy sliding mode controller are employed to control the speed and yaw rate of the vehicle during steering. The simulation results show the fuzzy sliding mode controller achieves faster response and higher tracking accuracy, reducing response delay by approximately 0.2 s in simulations. Finally, the experimental platform of the tracked vehicle is established to verify the control effect of the designed controller. Experiments under straight, turning, and in situ steering conditions confirm that the fuzzy sliding mode controller improves response time by approximately 0.3 s compared to the PI controller. These findings provide a strong theoretical and experimental foundation for high-performance snow groomer control in complex environments.