Point Stabilization Control Method for WIP Vehicles Based on Motion Planning

Point stabilization control of wheeled inverted pendulum (WIP) vehicles remains a challenge because of the existing nonholonomic and underactuated characteristics. This paper proposes a point stabilization control method for the WIP vehicle based on motion planning, where a point-to-point motion is achieved by performing pivot steering and longitudinal motion successively to avoid the nonholonomic constraint. Specifically, to handle the underactuated problem, a kinematic coupling-based longitudinal trajectory planning approach is presented, by which both precise longitudinal movement and stability of vehicle body can be guaranteed. Moreover, a mathematical model of parameters optimization problem is deduced with strict analysis, and then the particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to obtain the appropriate trajectory parameters, which ensures the good performance of the trajectory planning method. On this basis, the point stabilization of the WIP vehicle can be effectively realized through a commonly used proportional-integral-derivative control approach. Numerical simulation and experimental study are both conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.