A velocity observer design for tracking task-based motions of unicycle type mobile robots

The paper presents a design of a nonlinear velocity observer and its application within a model-based tracking control strategy for tracking task-based motions of unicycle type mobile robots. The strategy is the model reference tracking control strategy for programmed motion and it enables switching between controllers employed in it to improve a tracking precision as well as switching between coordinates used for modeling based on a type of a nonholonomic system. The strategy benefits by adding the velocity observer to its architecture due to the reduction of a number of measurements needed for feedback tracking. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.