Super-twisting nonsingular terminal sliding mode lane-change tracking controller for all-axle-steering virtual track train

All-Axle-Steering Virtual Track Train (AASVTT) can offer many attractive features over traditional urban public transportation, including low cost, high capacity, flexible marshaling, environmentally friendly and so on. However, the lane-change tracking control of the AASVTT is challenging due to its inherent problems, such as coupling, uncertainties, unknown external disturbances, and over-actuation. This paper presents a new approach for lane-change control of the AASVTT, namely super-twisting nonsingular terminal sliding mode control (STNTSMC). First, a dynamic model of AASVTT with uncertainties is established. Second, the nonsingular terminal sliding mode control (NTSMC) surfaces are developed to ensure fast finite time tracking error convergence and the finite-time stability is rigorously proved by utilizing Lyapunov theory. Thirdly, the STNTSMC is proposed to control the equivalent steering angles for lane-change maneuver, in which the super-twisting algorithm (STA) is utilized to suppress chattering phenomena. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted to demonstrate the excellent tracking performance, robustness, and longitudinal velocity universality of the proposed scheme.