Feedback stabilization of tractor-trailers with off-axle hatching

Because the model of the tractor-trailers with off-axle hitching can not be converted to the model of nonholonomic chained form, previously developed control schemes for the latter can not be applied to the former. In this work, a feedback stabilizing control scheme in a time-state controllable form is proposed for the tractor-trailers towing several off-hooked trailers. The linearized time-state form of the system model is derived and proved to be controllable; a switching linear feedback stabilizing control law is then designed to stabilize the states to converge to an arbitrary small neighborhood of origin in a finite time. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.