A comparison of fuzzy and qualitative control techniques

This paper attempts to explain an example of applying fuzzy vs. qualitative techniques to a tracking control problem. In the first instance, the qualitative technique is considered as fuzzy controllers with less knowledge. This facility can make qualitative control more feasible for certain problems when little precision is necessary. It is possible to build up models of systems with shallow knowledge about the systems' inner structure just by following their behaviour. The common utility of both techniques is to design simple-to-understand controllers on difficult-to-control systems, based on qualitative and fuzzy reasoning. One interesting side-feature of this study is the intersection of qualitative reasoning, fuzzy control and mobile tracking. The goal is to use the minimum information to control an auto-guided vehicle that, by qualitative-fuzzy reasoning, is able to track another mobile object and to keep a constant distance.