Barrier Function-Based Adaptive Sliding Mode Control for Disturbed Two-Wheeled Robot Obstacle Avoidance

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Nasser Firouzi 1
Haider Khazal 2
Younis Khalid Khdir 3
Przemysław Podulka 4
Abdullah A. Faqihi 5
Haitham M. Hadidi 6
1 Institute of Structural Mechanics, Bauhaus-University Weimar, Weimar 99423, Germany
2 Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq
3 Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department / Technical Engineering College / Erbil Polytechnic University, Erbil 44001, Iraq
4 Department of Manufacturing Processes and Production Engineering, Rzeszow University of Technology, Rzeszow, Poland
5 Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
6 Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
10.22055/jacm.2026.49111.5743
Abstract
In this article, a novel optimal adaptive sliding mode control integrated with a control barrier function is designed for the safe navigation of a two-wheeled mobile robot subjected to unknown external disturbances. The nominal reference tracking is achieved using the sliding mode approach in which the switching gains capable of disturbance and uncertainty rejection are updated by developed adaptive laws, eliminating the need for prior knowledge of the disturbance upper bound. To further improve the closed-loop performance, additional control parameters are optimized using a particle swarm optimization algorithm, which reduces steady-state tracking errors and mitigates high-value overshoots. Integrating the control barrier function in the proposed control framework guarantees obstacle avoidance by minimizing deviations between the safe control signals and those of the nominal control inputs. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in achieving accurate trajectory tracking, ensuring collision-free navigation, and maintaining control efficiency under uncertain conditions. Moreover, comparative simulation studies with a PD controller confirm that the proposed control structure has significantly better performance in disturbance rejection, minimizing control efforts, and path following.
Keywords
Adaptive sliding mode control
Obstacle avoidance
Mobile robot
Control barrier function
Particle swarm optimization
Subjects

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