Trajectory planning and tracking control for a wheeled mobile robot with two unpowered trailers in intersection scenarios

Abstract This paper presents a trajectory planning and tracking control strategy for a wheeled mobile robot (WMR) equipped with two unpowered trailers operating in intersection scenarios. By capitalizing on the structural properties of the WMR and the specific constraints of intersection environments, an improved dynamic window approach (DWA) is developed to generate an optimal collision‐free trajectory. To achieve high‐precision tracking performance, a dual‐loop control framework is designed. The outer loop employs a backstepping sliding mode controller, and the inner loop integrates an adaptive integral sliding mode controller with an extended state observer to enhance robustness and disturbance rejection. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy and demonstrate substantial improvements in both collision‐free turning capability and trajectory tracking accuracy for the WMR in intersection settings.