Robust self-triggered switching control of autonomous ground vehicles with varying linear parameters

We propose a robust self-triggered switching control scheme for four-wheel-steering autonomous ground vehicles (FAGVs) to enhance tracking precision in the face of significant parameter variations. First, using the polytopic mechanism, the nonlinear dynamics of an FAGV are formulated as a switched linear parameter-varying system to accommodate parametric perturbations. With suitable dwell time, a novel self-triggered switching law is designed using energy density in terms of the tracking accuracy and system robustness; this satisfies the required control criteria while also preventing the Zeno phenomenon caused by traditional high-frequency switching. Through the application of multiple parameter-correlated Lyapunov functions, the resultant closed-loop system is ensured to be asymptotically stable with suitable auto-tuned gains. Finally, the efficacy and superiority of the proposed method are verified through experiments with an FAGV system.