Multi-steering Mode and Path Following Control of Vehicle with Dual Modular Chassis

The cooperative formation of four-wheel-steering and four-wheel-drive (4WS-4WD) modular chassis offers a flexible and scalable solution for oversized cargo transportation. To enable coordinated control between the dual chassis modules, a distributed model predictive control (DMPC) framework is introduced. This framework facilitates inter-module communication between the front and rear chassis controllers, thereby achieving consistent and cooperative behavior. Each chassis module is equipped with an independent model predictive control (MPC) path tracking controller, which is designed based on a single-module dynamic model. The MPC cost function jointly optimizes path tracking accuracy and roll stability. In terms of path planning, a hierarchical framework is proposed: the upper layer generates a global path, while the lower layer derives local reference trajectories for the front and rear modules based on their respective poses. Moreover, multiple steering modes are analyzed under varying road curvatures and vehicle speeds. Extensive simulations and real-world experiments are conducted under diverse scenarios. The results demonstrate that the proposed control strategy ensures high tracking accuracy and driving stability, thereby validating the effectiveness of the DMPC-based dual-module coordination architecture.