FOREX Press I. J. of Electrical & Electronics Research
Support Open Access
  • Home/
  • IJEER-130319

Research Article |

Design of Sliding Mode Controller Combined with Nonlinear Disturbance Observer for Trajectory Tracking of Mobile Robots in Mixed Terrain

Author(s): Do Khac Tiep1*, Nguyen Van Tien2

Published In : International Journal of Electrical and Electronics Research (IJEER)        Volume 13, Issue 3

Publisher : FOREX Publication

Published : 30 September 2025

e-ISSN : 2347-470X

Page(s) : 547-556

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37391/IJEER.130319

Abstract

Accurate trajectory tracking is a fundamental yet challenging requirement for mobile robots, especially when operating on surfaces with varying frictional characteristics (mixed terrain) and subjected to external disturbances as well as model uncertainties. This study presents the design and evaluation of an integrated control strategy aimed at enhancing trajectory tracking performance under these demanding conditions. A Sliding Mode Controller (SMC), known for robustness but prone to chattering, was integrated with a Nonlinear Disturbance Observer (NDO). The NDO was designed to estimate lumped disturbances encompassing varying friction, model errors, and other external disturbances; this estimate was then used for compensation within the SMC control law to reduce the switching component's amplitude. The effectiveness of the proposed SMC-NDO method was verified through simulations on a mobile robot model following a reference trajectory in a simulated mixed terrain environment under various disturbance conditions. Simulation results showed that the proposed SMC-NDO controller significantly improves trajectory tracking accuracy and reduces chattering compared to the traditional SMC controller and a PID controller. The integration of the NDO with SMC proves to be an effective approach for improving mobile robot trajectory tracking, enhancing accuracy and robustness while mitigating chattering in challenging environments with varying terrain and disturbances.

Keywords: Mobile robot, Nonlinear Disturbance Observer, Sliding Mode Control, Robust Control, Trajectory Tracking.




Do Khac Tiep, Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Vietnam Maritime University, Haiphong, Vietnam; Email: dokhactiep@vimaru.edu.vn

Nguyen Van Tien, Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Vietnam Maritime University, Haiphong, Vietnam; Email: nguyenvantien@vimaru.edu.vn

    [1] Z.H. Ismail, N. Sariff, A survey and analysis of cooperative multi-agent robot systems: Challenges and directions, in: Applications of Mobile Robots, IntechOpen, 2019
    [2] S. Fountas, N. Mylonas, I. Malounas, E. Rodias, C. Hellmann Santos, and Z. E. Pekkeriet, "Agricultural Robotics for Field Operations: A Review," Sensors, vol. 20, no. 9, p. 2672, May 2020.
    [3] C. Samson and K. Ait-Abderrahim, " Feedback Control of a Nonholonomic Wheeled Cart in Cartesian Space," in Robot Motion and Control: Recent Developments, Conference: Robotics and Automation, 1991. Proceedings., 1991 IEEE International Conference, 1991.
    [4] Zhai, J.Y.; Song, Z.B. Adaptive sliding mode trajectory tracking control for wheeled mobile robots. J. Control , 92, 2255–2262, 2019.
    [5] G. Campion, G. Bastin, and B. D’Andréa-Novel, "Structural Properties and Classification of Kinematic and Dynamic Models of Wheeled Mobile Robots," IEEE Trans. Robot. Autom., vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 47-62, Feb. 1996.
    [6] K. Azadeh, M.B.M. de Koster, D. Roy, Robotized warehouse systems: Developments and research opportunities, SSRN Electron. J. 1–55, 2017.
    [7] K. Iagnemma and S. Dubowsky, Mobile Robots in Rough Terrain: Estimation, Motion Planning, and Control with Application to Planetary Rovers. Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics, vol. 10, 2004.
    [8] Yunjun Zheng, " Adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control of uncertain nonholonomic wheeled mobile robot with external disturbance and actuator saturation," Information Sciences 663(3), 2024.
    [9] X. Yan, S. Wang, Y. He, A. Ma, and S. Zhao, "Autonomous Tracked Vehicle Trajectory Tracking Control Based on Disturbance Observation and Sliding Mode Control," Actuators, vol. 14, no. 2, Art. no. 51, 2025.
    [10] R. Fierro and F. L. Lewis, "Control of a Nonholonomic Mobile Robot: Backstepping Kinematics into Dynamics," J. Robot. Syst., vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 149-163, 1995.
    [11] Kaushik Halder and Manavaalan Gunasekaran, " Trajectory tracking control of a mobile robot using fuzzy logic controller with optimal parameters," Robotica 42(8):1-24, 2024.
    [12] Li, S.; Ding, L.; Gao, H.; Chen, C.; Liu, Z.; Deng, Z. Adaptive neural network tracking control-based reinforcement learning for wheeled mobile robots with skidding and slipping. Neurocomput 2018, 283, 20–30, 2018.
    [13] Y.-H. Chen, "Nonlinear Adaptive Fuzzy Hybrid Sliding Mode Control Design for Trajectory Tracking of Autonomous Mobile Robots," Mathematics, vol. 13, no. 8, Art. no. 1329, Apr. 2025.
    [14] Xiao, H.; Li, Z.; Yang, C.; Zhang, L.; Yuan, P.; Ding, L.; Wang, T. Robust Stabilization of a Wheeled Mobile Robot Using Model Predictive Control Based on Neuro Dynamics Optimization. IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron, 64, 505–516, 2017.
    [15] J. J. E. Slotine and W. Li, Applied Nonlinear Control. Prentice Hall, 1991.
    [16] Y. Shtessel, C. Edwards, L. Fridman, and A. Levant, Sliding Mode Control and Observation. Birkhäuser, 2014.
    [17] Guo, Y.; Yu, L.; Xu, J. Robust finite-time trajectory tracking control of wheeled mobile robots with parametric uncertainties and disturbances. Int. J. Syst. Sci, 32, 1358–1374, 2019.
    [18] Zhang, P.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, Z. Design of RBFNN-based Adaptive Sliding Mode Control Strategy for Active Rehabilitation Robot. IEEE Access, 8, 155538–155547, 2020.
    [19] Jinghui Pan, Lili Qu and Kaixiang Peng, " Fault-Tolerant Control of Multi-Joint Robot Based on Fractional-Order Sliding Mode," Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(23), 11908, 2022.
    [20] V. I. Utkin, "Sliding Mode Control Design Principles and Applications to Electric Drives," IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron., vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 23-36, Feb. 1993.
    [21] Zu-Ren Feng; Rui-Zhi Sha; Zhi-Gang Ren, " A Chattering-Reduction Sliding Mode Control Algorithm for Affine Systems with Input Matrix Uncertainty" IEEE Access., vol. 10, 3179580, 2022.
    [22] Levant, "Higher-Order Sliding Modes, Differentiation and Output-Feedback Control," Int. J. Control, vol. 76, no. 9-10, pp. 924-941, 2003.
    [23] W. Chen, J. Yang, L. Guo, and S. Li, "Disturbance-Observer-Based Control and Related Methods—An Overview," IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron., vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 1083-1095, Feb. 2015.
    [24] Kang, H.S.; Kim, Y.T.; Hyun, C.H.; Park, M. “Generalized extended state observer approach to robust tracking control for wheeled mobile robot with skidding and slipping”. Int. J. Adv. Robot. Syst, 10, 1–10, 2013.
    [25] Sangyoon Jeong, Dongkyoung Chwa, " Sliding-Mode-Disturbance-Observer-Based Robust Tracking Control for Omnidirectional Mobile Robots with Kinematic and Dynamic Uncertainties," IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics PP(99):1-1, 2020.

Do Khac Tiep, and Nguyen Van Tien(2025), Design of Sliding Mode Controller Combined with Nonlinear Disturbance Observer for Trajectory Tracking of Mobile Robots in Mixed Terrain. IJEER 13(3), 547-556. DOI: 10.37391/IJEER.130319.