Robust contour tracking of nonholonomic mobile robots via adaptive velocity field motion planning scheme

This paper aims at designing a contour tracking scheme based on an adaptive velocity field formulation, for the case of uncertain nonholonomic (differential drive) mobile robots, with its dynamic controller. First, to handle kinematic uncertainties that deviate the map of the velocity field into wheel velocities, a linear parameterization of the uncertain Jacobian operator is proposed to synthesize an adaptive kinematic controller that shapes correctly the velocity field. Then, a robust model‐free dynamic controller is proposed to compensate in finite time for uncertain dynamics and disturbances, enforcing the kinematic reference. Finally, a representative simulation study is discussed to show the reliability of the proposed scheme.