1st Edition
by Gerald Cook (Author)
An important feature of this book is the particular combination of topics included. These are (1) control, (2) navigation and (3) remote sensing, all with application to mobile robots. Much of the material is readily extended to any type ground vehicle.
In the controls area,
robot steering is the issue. Both linear and nonlinear models are
treated. Various control schemes are utilized, and through these
applications the reader is introduced to methods such as: (1)
Linearization and use of linear control design methods for control about
a reference trajectory, (2) Use of Lyapunov stability theory for
nonlinear control design, (3) Derivation of optimal control strategies
via Pontryagin’s maximum principle, (4) Derivation of a local
coordinate system which is fundamental for the steering of vehicles
along a path never before traversed. This local coordinate system has
application regardless of the control design methods utilized.
In
the navigation area, various coordinate systems are introduced, and the
transformations among them are derived. (1) The Global Positioning
System (GPS) is introduced and described in significant detail. (2) Also
introduced and discussed are inertial navigation systems (INS). These
two methods are treated in terms of their ability to provide vehicle
position as well as attitude. A preceding chapter is devoted to
coordinate rotations and transformations since they play an important
role in the understanding of this body of theory.
