This project develops a controller to enable a differential-drive mobile robot to follow a circular trajectory of radius 2 m, starting from an initial configuration at the origin. The approach is based on Input/Output State Feedback Linearization (IO-SFL), introducing a virtual control point rigidly connected to the robot.
By controlling this virtual point and mapping the commands through inverse kinematics, the robot achieves accurate trajectory tracking. A feed-forward term from the trajectory derivatives further improves performance, while the choice of virtual point distance (b = 0.8 m) and proportional gains (k₁ = k₂ = 10) ensures fast convergence and minimal tracking error.
Simulations confirm that, after a short transient, the robot follows the circular path precisely, and the wheels reach constant angular velocities consistent with steady-state tracking.
More info