This paper aims to design and implement a fractional-order PID controller optimized using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm for the motion control of a differential-drive mobile trolley (DDMT). The proposed approach seeks to enhance the system’s dynamic response and tracking performance by leveraging the flexibility of fractional calculus and the global search capabilities of metaheuristic optimization. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed controller, a comparative study is conducted involving three control strategies: the conventional PID controller, a non-optimized FOPID controller, and a PSO-optimized FOPID controller. The performance is evaluated based on several criteria, including accuracy, stability, response time, and the Integral Squared Error (ISE). Simulation results demonstrate that the PSO-optimized FOPID controller outperforms the other approaches across all metrics. These findings highlight the advantages of fractional-order control combined with intelligent optimization techniques for complex mobile trolley systems.
Maouche et al. (2025) studied this question.