A Speed Control Algorithm for Planar Path Maneuvering

This paper considers the problem of speed control for vehicles maneuvering along planar paths. Maneuverability constraints are taken into account when determining a purposefully commanded forward speed which prevents a given vehicle from derailing when traversing a given path. A lookahead system is first developed to collect relevant path curvature information ahead of the vehicle. This system is able to maintain a constant along-path distance in front of the current vehicle location, even for paths that are not arc-length parameterized. A speed assignment algorithm is subsequently developed which employs both the lookahead system information and known vehicle maneuverability constraints to yield feasible speed commands. Finally, the behavior of the proposed speed control system is illustrated through simulations which also demonstrate its improved performance compared to using constant speed.