Shared-Control for a Rear-Wheel Drive Car: Dynamic Environments and Disturbance Rejection

This paper studies the shared-control problem for the kinematic model of a group of rear-wheel drive cars in a (possibly) dynamic (i.e., time-varying) environment. The design of the shared-controller is based on measurements of distances to obstacles, angle differences, and the human input. The shared-controller is used to guarantee the safety of the car when the driver behaves “dangerously.” Formal properties of the closed-loop system with the shared-controller are presented through a Lyapunov-like analysis. In addition, we consider uncertainties in the dynamics and prove that the shared-controller is able to help the driver drive the car safely even in the presence of disturbances. Finally, the effectiveness of the controller is verified by two case studies: traffic at a junction and at a roundabout.