Trajectory Tracking of an Underactuated Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) Using Robust Velocity Control

The control of an underactuated USV utilising differential thrust entails multiple challenges with respect to robustness and cross coupling. Dealing with different payloads in unknown environments imposes additional requirements on the performance of the control system. In this paper the implementation of a robust linear velocity control scheme coupled with a non-linear trajectory tracking control law for interpolated paths is presented, that attempts to solve those challenges with means of modern control theory.