Title: Model predictive trajectory optimization and tracking for on-road autonomous vehicles,
Abstract: Motion planning for autonomous vehicles requires spatio-temporal motion plans
(i.e. state trajectories) to account for dynamic obstacles. This requires a
trajectory tracking control process which faithfully tracks planned
trajectories. In this paper, a control scheme is presented which first
optimizes a planned trajectory and then tracks the optimized trajectory using a
feedback-feedforward controller. The feedforward element is calculated in a
model predictive manner with a cost function focusing on driving performance.
Stability of the error dynamic is then guaranteed by the design of the
feedback-feedforward controller. The tracking performance of the control system
is tested in a realistic simulated scenario where the control system must track
an evasive lateral maneuver. The proposed controller performs well in
simulation and can be easily adapted to different dynamic vehicle models. The
uniqueness of the solution to the control synthesis eliminates any
nondeterminism that could arise with switching between numerical solvers for
the underlying mathematical program.