Fast terminal sliding mode tracking of non‐holonomic systems with exponential decay rate

In this study, a recursive singularity‐free, fast terminal sliding mode control method, which is able to avoid the possible singularity during the control phase, is applied for a finite‐time tracking control of a class of non‐holonomic systems. The reaching control law is proposed to guarantee the existence of the sliding mode around the fast terminal sliding surface and zero‐tracking errors are achieved in finite time with an exponential decay rate. Simulation results are illustrated on three benchmark examples of chained‐form non‐holonomic systems: a wheeled mobile robot, an under‐actuated rigid body and a front‐wheel‐drive car. The results demonstrate that the proposed control law achieves favourable tracking performance for non‐holonomic systems.