Pseudo-kinematic trajectory control of tracked vehicles

Tracked vehicles are used in complex scenarios, where motion planning and navigation can be very complex. They have complex dynamics, with many parameters that are difficult to identify and that change significantly based on the operating conditions. We propose a simple pseudo-kinematic model, where the intricate dynamic effects underlying the vehicle's motion are captured in a small set of velocity-dependent parameters. This choice enables the development of a Lyapunov-based trajectory controller with guaranteed performance and small computation time. We demonstrate the correctness of our approach with both simulation and experimental data.

@article{focchi2025_2409.18641,
  title={ Pseudo-Kinematic Trajectory Control and Planning of Tracked Vehicles },
  author={ Michele Focchi and Daniele Fontanelli and Davide Stocco and Riccardo Bussola and Luigi Palopoli },
  journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2409.18641},
  year={ 2025 }
}