Path-Tracking of a Tractor-Trailer Vehicle Along Rectilinear and Circular Paths: A Lyapunov-Based Approach

The problem of asymptotic stabilization for straight and circular forward/backward motions of a tractor-trailer system is addressed using Lyapunov techniques. Smooth, bounded, nonlinear control laws achieving asymptotic stability along the desired path are designed, and explicit bounds on the region of attraction are provided. The problem of asymptotic controllability with bounded control is also addressed.