International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive Systems (IJPEDS)
Vol 17, No 2: June 2026

Hybrid control strategy for trajectory tracking and obstacle avoidance in differential wheeled robots: integrating PSO-NMPC, GA, and fuzzy logic

Abdennour Zeghida (University of Badji Mokhtar)
Lotfi Farah (University of Badji Mokhtar)
Halim Merabti (Research Center in Industrial Technologies CRTI)
Abdelfateh Kerrouche (School of Computing Engineering and the Built Environment Edinburgh Napier University)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Jun 2026

Abstract

Mobile robots frequently encounter challenges in maintaining accurate trajectory tracking and effective obstacle avoidance in dynamic and uncertain environments. Traditional control methods, such as proportional integral derivative (PID) and standard MPC, often fail to provide the necessary adaptability and robustness for complex navigation tasks. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a hybrid control framework for differential-drive wheeled robots that integrates particle swarm optimization–based nonlinear model predictive control (PSO-NMPC), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) optimized by PSO, and genetic algorithm (GA) tuning. The PSO-NMPC computes optimal control inputs in real time while satisfying system constraints to ensure precise trajectory tracking, achieving an average RMSE of 0.0941 m (RMSEx = 0.0884 m, RMSEy = 0.0812 m). The ANFIS-PSO controller manages nonlinearities and environmental uncertainties for reliable obstacle avoidance, with an overall RMSE of 0.1084 m (RMSEx = 0.0761 m, RMSEy = 0.0772 m). The GA further optimizes key parameters and trajectories, ensuring global path refinement and robust obstacle clearance, achieving an overall RMSE of 0.1094 m (RMSEx = 0.1059 m, RMSEy = 0.0274 m). Simulation results in Matlab2024b confirm that the proposed hybrid framework provides precise trajectory tracking, smooth control, and robust obstacle avoidance, making it a promising solution for autonomous mobile robots operating in dynamic and uncertain environments.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

IJPEDS

Publisher

Subject

Control & Systems Engineering Electrical & Electronics Engineering

Description

International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive Systems (IJPEDS, ISSN: 2088-8694, a SCOPUS indexed Journal) is the official publication of the Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science (IAES). The scope of the journal includes all issues in the field of Power Electronics and drive systems. ...