N Free Control Moves Based MPC for Trajectory Tracking of Autonomous Vehicle with External Disturbances

This paper designs a new trajectory tracking model predictive controller for autonomous vehicle with external disturbances. Firstly, a linear error model is established to estimate the dynamic behavior of the vehicle system. Then, a model predictive controller is formulated, which involves the N free control moves to obtain better control performance. Finally, the quadratic boundedness theorem is used to ensure the stability of the vehicle system with external bounded disturbances, and the controller design problem is resolved using linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) technique. The results on Carsim/MATLAB co-simulation platform demonstrate that the controller has ideal control accuracy and desirable robustness.