A Hybrid System Approach to Traction Control

In this paper we describe a hybrid model and an optimization-based control strategy for solving a traction control problem. The problem is tackled in a systematic way from modeling to control synthesis and implementation. The model is described first in the language HYSDEL (HYbrid Systems DEscription Language) to obtain a mixed-logical dynamical (MLD) hybrid model of the open-loop system. For the resulting MLD model we design a receding horizon finite-time optimal controller. The resulting optimal controller is converted to its equivalent piecewise affine form by employing multiparametric mixedinteger linear programming techniques, and finally experimentally tested on a car prototype. Experiments show that good and robust performance is achieved in a limited development time, by avoiding the design of ad-hoc supervisory and logical constructs usually required by controllers developed according to standard techniques.