Motion control of a two-wheeled mobile robot

The design of the controller of a two-wheeled mobile robot is usually based on a kinematical model. The kinematical model is derived under the assumption that the wheels do not skid or float. However, in the real world, wheels may skid on the ground or float away from the ground due to the rotational motion of the body. This paper analyzes the effects of the skid and the float on the robot with a controller designed based on the kinematical model - by the use of the Lyapunov control method. Numerical simulations are carried out based on the dynamic model including the translational and rotational motion of the body, and then experiments are performed using a hardware model.