A Comparison of Control Techniques for Robust Docking Maneuvers of an AGV

TLDR

Industrial AGVs used for load transfer face path‑tracking challenges due to weight‑induced slipping, low‑rate localization errors, and oscillatory control laws that threaten safety and performance. The study aims to develop a control law enabling AGVs to track a predefined route with industrial‑grade accuracy, repeatability, and reliability. The authors compare fuzzy, vector‑pursuit, and flatness‑based control techniques to assess their ability to address these challenges and meet industrial robustness standards.

Abstract

This work addresses the path tracking problem of industrial guidance systems used by automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in load transfer operations. We focus on the control law that permits to AGVs to operate tracking a predefined route with industrial grade of accuracy, repeatability and reliability. One of the main issues of this problem is related to the important weight variation of AGVs when transporting a load, which induces slipping and skidding effects. Besides, localization error of the guidance system should be taken into account because position estimation is typically performed at a low sample rate. Other key point is that control law oscillations can knock down the load, which gives rise to safety and performance problems. Three control techniques - fuzzy, vector pursuit and flatness-based control - are compared in order to evaluate how they can deal with these problems and satisfy the robustness requirements of such an industrial application.