Model Predictive Lateral Vehicle Guidance Using a Position Controlled EPS System

On the way to automated driving it is necessary to develop suitable control structures which ensure an accurate and robust path tracking during different maneuvers and speeds. This paper presents a Model Predictive Controller (MPC) for lateral vehicle guidance which calculates an optimal manipulated variable sequence for an inner low level steering angle controller of an Electric Power Steering (EPS). On the basis of prior work, a linear controller design is used to control the front steer angle and the resulting steering control loop behaviour is explicitly considered in the prediction model of the outer MPC. The MPC uses a speed-dependent adaptation of the prediction model and the cost function weights to ensure a stable and precise path tracking performance. The MPC real-time capability will be assessed and the performance of the proposed controllers evaluated.