Tuning Time Delays to Improve the Performance of a Steering Controller

Time delays and lags in control loops can cause instability and pose significant challenges to engineers. This study investigates a steering controller using the dynamic bicycle model, where the steering system dynamics are approximated by a steering lag. A higher-level controller calculates the desired steering angle based on the vehicle’s lateral position and yaw angle by considering various time delays related to these states. Stability charts are plotted for delay combinations, and the most stable gain setups for the feedback controller are determined. The results indicate that an appropriate increase in one of the time delays expands the stable domain of control gains for the vehicle system, and it enhances the performance of the vehicle controller.