Multivariate nonlinear predictive control of autonomous vehicle dynamics

In this paper, a multivariable nonlinear model predictive control strategy is proposed. The strategy is aimed to control the lateral and longitudinal vehicle dynamics, using as control variables the front wheels steering angle and front and rear wheels rotation speed. The control system is aimed to automatically drive the vehicle along a desired trajectory. For designing the nonlinear predictive controller, a nonlinear vehicle dynamic model is used that captures with higher accuracy the dynamics of a real vehicle. The proposed approach is validated using simulation results and is shown that this approach could provide good performances in practical use.