Formation Control of Skid-Steered Vehicles Based on Distributed Model Predictive Control

Abstract

The skid-steered vehicle has the advantages of simple structure and strong maneuverability. Its formation driving can effectively improve safety, reduce energy consumption and exert its benefits, and has wide application prospects in military and civilian fields. Differential skid steering has strong horizontal and vertical coupling characteristics, so the tracking performance of the vehicle is poor. Therefore, it is of great significance to study horizontal and vertical joint control. Firstly, the mathematical model of the vehicle platoon is established to realize the formation control of skid-steered vehicles. Then, a combined horizontal and vertical control strategy for skid-steered vehicle formation is proposed, and a distributed model predictive controller is designed. Finally, simulation experiments verified that the designed method has good feasibility and stability.