Abstract
This paper proposes a new and original course keeping control strategy for an unmanned surface vehicle in the presence of modeling error, external disturbance and input saturation. The trajectory linearization control method is used as the basic algorithm to design the course keeping strategy, and the radial basis function neural network and disturbance observer are used to compensate modeling error and external disturbance respectively to enhance the robustness of the control system. Moreover, a robust term is used to compensate various compensation errors to further improve the robustness of the system. In addition, hyperbolic tangent function and Nussbaum function are hired to deal with the potential input saturation problem, and the neural shunting model is adopted to avoid the computational explosion caused by the derivation of virtual control law. Taking the above facts into account will help to further realize engineering practice. Finally, the control strategy proposed in this paper is compared with the classical proportional−integral−derivative control strategy. The simulation results show that the course control results of the proposed control strategy are more robust than proportional−integral−derivative control, regardless of whether the external disturbance is weak or strong.