Sliding-mode control scheme for an intelligent bicycle

This paper deals with the robust stabilization and trajectory-tracking problems of a riderless bicycle. A dynamic model, which takes into account geometric-stabilization mechanisms due to bicycle trail, is presented. A posture controller which combines second-order sliding-mode control and disturbance observer is derived. Then, an innovative tracking controller based on the proposed posture controller and the dynamic-inversion framework is designed. Simulation and experimental results on an autonomous bicycle show the performances of the proposed strategy for the stabilization and tracking problems.