Achieving Reliable U-Shift Capsule Coupling: A Comparative Study of Geometric Steering Controllers and Safe Operating Zone Determination

Kurzfassung

This paper presents a simulation-based comparative study of two geometric controllers, Pure Pursuit and Stanley, applied to the coupling process of an Autonomous Modular Vehicle (AMV) known as U-Shift. The maneuver involves the diveboard reversing to dock and connecting with a transport capsule. The Hybrid A* planner considers driveboard and capsule geometric constraints to generate the reference path. The study compares the controllers’ performance and shows how changes in parameters and alignment between the driveboard and capsule affect coupling success rates without collisions. The paper further categorized the initial position and orientation of the diveboard into safe zones based on the mean lateral deviation from the reference path and proximity to collision boundaries. Based on the zones, the system can determine if a correctional maneuver is needed to bring the driveboard into a low-risk coupling state. The simulation results guide in designing coupling strategies to achieve more reliable AMV operations.