Barrier function–based adaptive STSMC for steering feel feedback of SBW vehicle with uncertainty

As an essential component of human–computer interaction in steer-by-wire (SBW) vehicles, the steering feel feedback system provides drivers with accurate steering feel by precisely controlling the output torque of the steering feel motor. Meanwhile, the existence of uncertainties makes the accurate control of steering feel feedback torque become an acknowledged challenging issue. This article proposes an adaptive super-torque sliding mode control strategy based on barrier functions for the steering feel feedback system of SBW vehicles with highly complex dynamics in the presence of uncertainties. First, to achieve intelligent modeling under the influence of uncertainty factors, a dynamic system with unknown uncertainty based on adaptive fuzzy logic system (FLS) is proposed. In the framework of this model, the uncertainty factors introduced by unknown external disturbance, parameter uncertainty, and model couplings are considered as a lumped uncertainty function. Furthermore, the membership functions of the FLS are dynamically adjusted based on nearest neighbor clustering, aiming to enhance the modeling accuracy beyond traditional fuzzy modeling. To further offset the system uncertainty and FLS approximation error, an adaptive super-twisting sliding mode control (STSMC) method based on barrier function is proposed. This algorithm retains the advantages of traditional sliding mode control (SMC) methods in dealing with systems with uncertainty and eliminates the need for a priori knowledge of the upper bound of uncertainties by introducing the adaptive law based on barrier function, avoiding the use of complex identification algorithms. Moreover, it eliminates the gain of overestimation and significantly reduces chattering phenomenon in traditional sliding mode control. Finally, based on Lyapunov stability theory, this article proves the proposed system can achieve convergence within a finite time. Compared with STSMC, traditional SMC and proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control, the results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control method. The proposed strategy provides a new solution to reduce the steering feel feedback torque error under the influence of uncertain factors.