Toward Model Matching for Remotely Controlled Differential Drive Robotic Vehicles

Abstract: The problem of regulation of the orientation angle of a remotely controlled differential-drive mobile robot with actuator dynamics and network-induced delays is studied. Using a preinstalled two-layer nonlinear control scheme that decouples linear and angular velocities and regulates heading, a third, delay-dependent layer that achieves exact model matching from the orientation angle command to the orientation angle is introduced. The proposed outer loop controller is a delay dependent dynamic measurable output-feedback controller with dynamic proper precompensator. Parameterization yields a simple characteristic quasi-polynomial with coefficients constrained to satisfy stability for all delays up to a computable bound. Computational experiments confirm accurate tracking, fast settling and bounded internal signals and control voltages. The approach offers an analytic design alternative to AI-based tuning for delayed robotic systems.