Abstract
This paper proposes extension of the path-generating regulator (PGR) to a tracking problem along a straight pas- sage for car-like robots. The PGR is a control method for a vehicle so as to orient its heading toward a tangent to one of the curves belonging to a family of path functions. Originally, it applies to the navigation problem so that the vehicle moves and stops at the origin in the direction of horizontal axis in a Cartesian coordinate system. First, we extend it to the tracking problem along a straight passage. This is accomplished by modifying the family of path functions and taking the horizontal axis on the center line of the straight passage. Next, we discuss the convergent property using Lyapunov's method and derive the condition that the vehicle speed should satisfy. To avoid collision with the boundary of the passage, such as a wall, the PGR automatically produces the motion so that the vehicle goes backward and then performs a Y-turn. Numerical simulations show that the proposed PGR has not only convergence properties, but also robustness against these disturbances. It is also pointed out that the steering angle limitation degrades the performance of the PGR.
