Automated Reverse Docking of Tractor-Trailer using Infrastructure-based Sensing Experimentally Tested with a Full-scale Tractor-Trailer
Open Access
- Author:
- Shah, Rajvi
- Graduate Program:
- Electrical Engineering
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- November 07, 2019
- Committee Members:
- Sean N Brennan, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Minghui Zhu, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Asok Ray, Committee Member
Kultegin Aydin, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- reverse path tracking
docking
tractor-trailer
automation
infrastructure-based sensing
advanced driver assistance system
autonomous trucks - Abstract:
- Tractor-trailer docking is a complicated and difficult maneuver for human drivers. The challenges are attributed to varying trailer sizes, limited visibility of the vehicle-dock configuration from the driver’s perspective and non-linear open-loop unstable vehicle kinematics. This thesis uses a previously published feedback linear algorithm for reverse path tracking of tractor-trailers [1] which was also tested on a 1:14 scale vehicle in [2]. The goal of this thesis is to design and implement a model-based dimensionless and a full-scale controller for the reverse path tracking of a full-scale tractor-trailer. Assumptions made while deriving the reverse motion model and controller are also specified. The effects of varying trailer sizes, as well as the initial configurations, are studied. A region of attraction for the reverse motion of the tractor-trailer is defined based on its initial configurations. Along with designing the controllers, a full-scale truck-trailer is prepared and made experiment ready. The steering system of a full-scale truck is used as the actuator. A differential GPS (DGPS) system is used for pose estimation using infrastructure-based sensing. The details regarding setting up the full-scale truck-trailer for further implementation of the automated reverse docking algorithm are explained here. Finally, simulated results for both dimensionless and full-scale controllers are compared. Experimental and simulation results of the truck-trailer parameters for reverse docking starting from the same initial configurations are compared.