Autonomous control for crawler-type vehicle by fuzzy control: Tracking control for straight course

• Published in: JOURNAL of the JAPANESE SOCIETY of AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY Vol. 71; no. 2; pp. 2_66 - 2_73
• Main Authors: Takeda, J.(Iwate Univ., Morioka (Japan). Faculty of Agriculture), Saitou, M, Torisu, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japanese Society of Agricultural Machinery and Food Engineers 01.03.2009
• Subjects: AUTOMATION; AUTOMATISATION; AUTOMATIZACION; autonomous traveling; crawler-type vehicle; ENSAYO DE MAQUINAS; EQUIPMENT TESTING; EQUIPO DE LA EXPLOTACION AGRARIA; ESSAI DE MATERIEL; FARM EQUIPMENT; fuzzy control; genetic algorithm; MATERIEL AGRICOLE; MONITORING; SURVEILLANCE; TRACKED VEHICLES; tracking control; VEHICULE A CHENILLES; VEHICULOS DE TRACCION; VIGILANCIA
• ISSN: 0285-2543; 1884-6025
• DOI: 10.11357/jsam.71.2_66

The main objective of this research work is to develop an autonomous crawler-type agricultural vehicle through the application of fuzzy control principles. A virtual steering angle was introduced in order to simplify the parameters of the control system from a two-input system into a single-input system. Heading angle and calculated values of lateral deviation were employed within if-then rule conditions as input variables to the fuzzy controller, while the virtual steering angle was set to output. A genetic algorithm was then introduced to optimize the parameters of the fuzzy controller. Experiments on lane change maneuver with the vehicle running on concrete surface were carried out to evaluate the viability of the control strategy. Initial results were fundamentally successful, although a slight delay in obtaining a specific control value for both heading angle and steering angle occurred in the process.