Robust Lateral Control of an A-double combination via H∞ and Generalized H2 Static Output Feedback

A robust static output feedback controller is developed for improving the high speed lateral performance of an A-double combination by active steering of the dolly unit. The controller is designed to be robust against the uncertainty in the cornering stiffness parameters of the tires in the semitrailers. Both H∞ and generalized H2 synthesis approaches are discussed together with their solutions in the form of linear matrix inequality (LMI) optimizations. The control syntheses are then applied to both a fixed system and an uncertain parameter-dependent system. The verification results confirm a significant reduction in rearward amplification of yaw rates and high speed transient off-tracking. To validate the simulation results, an advanced high-fidelity vehicle model is used.