Control Strategies to Steer and Drive an Autonomous 4WS4WD Ground Vehicle: A Review of MPC Approaches

Abstract

The uptake in electric vehicles has led to a keen debate and need for the development of autonomous ground vehicles (AGV). AGVs are equipped with an increasing number of actuators which aid to actively control its lateral and longitudinal dynamics. Amidst the varied road terrains, precision in coordination is of the essence. In that regard, manoeuvrability, accuracy, and controllability are vital aspects to consider in the design of an AGV controller. The four-wheel steer and four-wheel drive (4WS4WD) architecture is one such AGV technology that offers the challenge of over actuation and nonlinearity. The paper reviews the AGV dynamics and scholarly approaches to handling control task amidst the AGV challenges. Keywords- Autonomous Ground Vehicle, drive, Model Predictive Control, steer