Optimal Control of the Vehicle Path Following by Using Image Processing Approach

Nowadays, the importance of the vehicles and its dramatic effects on human life is no secret. The use of trailers with multiple axels for transporting bulky and heavy equipment is essential. Increase in trailers axles which results increment of wheels, needs considerations in order to increase in transporting speed, maneuverability, safety, better control and path following accurately.  Therefore, in this paper dynamic modeling and control of a 5 axial trailer was studied. As well as to increase maneuverability and speed up, steering 3 axles was considered. Also, by using image processing trailer path following in desired path with the highest accuracy was achieved. In this study, first a 14 DoF model for a 5 axial trailer with 3 steering axles was considered and its characteristics were described. Then, dynamic equations including kinematic and kinetic of trailer was obtained. Then, with checking trailers behavior a linear quadratic optimal control algorithm was designed. To evaluate the performance of the control algorithm, control problem simulation for 3 maneuver; single lane change, double lane change and overtaking; was done. The results confirmed the performance of designed control algorithm and image processing accuracy in trailer path following.