Dual-adaptive computer control of a mobile robot based on the unscented transform

Abstract

This paper presents experimental results validating a novel dual adaptive neuro-control scheme based on the

unscented transform, for the dynamic control of nonholonomic wheeled mobile robots. This novel controller, recently proposed by the same authors, has so far been tested by simulations only. In contrast to the majority of adaptive control techniques hitherto proposed in the literature, the controller tested in this paper does not rely on the heuristic certainty equivalence assumption, but accounts for the estimates’ uncertainty via the principle of dual adaptive control. Effectively it aims to strike a balance between estimation and control, which are typically in conflict. Moreover, this novel dual adaptive control law employs the unscented transform, to improve on the first-order Taylor approximations inherent in a number of previously published extended Kalman filter based dual adaptive schemes. A brief description of the mobile robot designed for the purpose of this research is also included in this paper.