Cooperative transportation control of two parking automated guided vehicles

Abstract This paper proposes a novel structural design for a parking automated guided vehicle (P‐AGV) and a cooperative transportation controller for tracking predefined trajectories during the transportation of passenger cars. The Mecanum wheel‐based P‐AGVs, which are omnidirectional mobile platforms, can maneuver beneath passenger cars and lift their front and rear wheels independently using specialized clamping arms. Prior to transporting the passenger cars, a fuzzy strategy‐based reference velocity generator is employed to produce a gradual reference velocity, mitigating surges in trajectory tracking errors. Additionally, a preview strategy is implemented to determine the reference trajectory point for the subsequent moment, thereby enhancing the stability of the transportation process. A cooperative transportation controller, integrating a sliding mode controller with an impedance controller, is subsequently employed to coordinate the two P‐AGVs, ensuring precise tracking of the reference trajectory. Simulations and experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed cooperative transportation system based on two P‐AGVs.