Adaptive motion control for autonomous mobile robots: A comparative study of robust tracking under dynamic uncertainties

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 1-16-2026

Abstract

This study investigates motion control strategies for trajectory and position tracking of a unicycle-modeled mobile robot under dynamic parametric uncertainty. Four controllers are examined: an adaptive controller with a 𝜎- modification term, a modified adaptive controller incorporating both 𝜎 and PD terms, a fuzzy self-tuning PD controller, and a classical PD controller. The evaluation considers two scenarios, circular path tracking with varying radii and point regulation from an initial pose. Controller performance is assessed using tracking error, Root Mean Square (RMS) error, Total Variation (TV) of linear and angular velocities, control effort, and velocity fluctuations, under both nominal and perturbed conditions. Results show that the modified adaptive controller reduces oscillations more effectively, whereas the fuzzy self-tuning controller achieves the lowest tracking errors. These outcomes provide practical guidance for selecting robust control strategies for differentially-driven robots operating in dynamic environments. All simulations were performed in MATLAB®/Simulink.

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS