Distributed Adaptive Backstepping Control for Vehicular Platoons With Mismatched Disturbances Using Vector String Lyapunov Functions

Zihao Song; Shirantha Welikala; Panos J. Antsaklis; Hai Lin

doi:10.1109/TITS.2025.3604340

Distributed Adaptive Backstepping Control for Vehicular Platoons With Mismatched Disturbances Using Vector String Lyapunov Functions

Zihao Song
, Shirantha Welikala
, Panos J. Antsaklis
, Hai Lin

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Stevens Institute of Technology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Mismatched disturbances generally appear in vehicular platoons, which may cause severe deterioration for the platooning control. We are, therefore, motivated to consider the problem of platooning control with mismatched disturbances, for which we propose a distributed adaptive backstepping control approach. The main challenges are 1) ensuring the internal and string stability of the platoon, 2) maintaining the compositionality and the distributed nature of the controller, and 3) ensuring the robustness of the controller with respect to general types of disturbances. To address these challenges, we propose a novel notion named Vector String Lyapunov Functions, whose existence implies l₂ weak string stability. This notion is based on the vector Lyapunov function-based stability analysis, which depends on the input-to-state stability of a comparison system. Using this notion, we propose a novel distributed adaptive backstepping controller for the platoon to ensure the controller’s compositionality and distributed nature. At the same time, the closed-loop system’s internal stability and string stability are formally guaranteed. Finally, simulation studies are conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method.

Original language	English
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TITS.2025.3604340
State	Accepted/In press - 2025

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Automotive Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Computer Science Applications

Keywords

Mismatched disturbances
adaptive control
backstepping
string stability
vector Lyapunov functions
vehicular platoons

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10.1109/TITS.2025.3604340

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@article{4aae866685b4463ca86aa7f0b548c9e0,

title = "Distributed Adaptive Backstepping Control for Vehicular Platoons With Mismatched Disturbances Using Vector String Lyapunov Functions",

abstract = "Mismatched disturbances generally appear in vehicular platoons, which may cause severe deterioration for the platooning control. We are, therefore, motivated to consider the problem of platooning control with mismatched disturbances, for which we propose a distributed adaptive backstepping control approach. The main challenges are 1) ensuring the internal and string stability of the platoon, 2) maintaining the compositionality and the distributed nature of the controller, and 3) ensuring the robustness of the controller with respect to general types of disturbances. To address these challenges, we propose a novel notion named Vector String Lyapunov Functions, whose existence implies l2 weak string stability. This notion is based on the vector Lyapunov function-based stability analysis, which depends on the input-to-state stability of a comparison system. Using this notion, we propose a novel distributed adaptive backstepping controller for the platoon to ensure the controller{\textquoteright}s compositionality and distributed nature. At the same time, the closed-loop system{\textquoteright}s internal stability and string stability are formally guaranteed. Finally, simulation studies are conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method.",

keywords = "Mismatched disturbances, adaptive control, backstepping, string stability, vector Lyapunov functions, vehicular platoons",

author = "Zihao Song and Shirantha Welikala and Antsaklis, \{Panos J.\} and Hai Lin",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2000-2011 IEEE.",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1109/TITS.2025.3604340",

language = "English",

journal = "IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems",

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AU - Song, Zihao

AU - Welikala, Shirantha

AU - Antsaklis, Panos J.

AU - Lin, Hai

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Mismatched disturbances generally appear in vehicular platoons, which may cause severe deterioration for the platooning control. We are, therefore, motivated to consider the problem of platooning control with mismatched disturbances, for which we propose a distributed adaptive backstepping control approach. The main challenges are 1) ensuring the internal and string stability of the platoon, 2) maintaining the compositionality and the distributed nature of the controller, and 3) ensuring the robustness of the controller with respect to general types of disturbances. To address these challenges, we propose a novel notion named Vector String Lyapunov Functions, whose existence implies l2 weak string stability. This notion is based on the vector Lyapunov function-based stability analysis, which depends on the input-to-state stability of a comparison system. Using this notion, we propose a novel distributed adaptive backstepping controller for the platoon to ensure the controller’s compositionality and distributed nature. At the same time, the closed-loop system’s internal stability and string stability are formally guaranteed. Finally, simulation studies are conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method.

AB - Mismatched disturbances generally appear in vehicular platoons, which may cause severe deterioration for the platooning control. We are, therefore, motivated to consider the problem of platooning control with mismatched disturbances, for which we propose a distributed adaptive backstepping control approach. The main challenges are 1) ensuring the internal and string stability of the platoon, 2) maintaining the compositionality and the distributed nature of the controller, and 3) ensuring the robustness of the controller with respect to general types of disturbances. To address these challenges, we propose a novel notion named Vector String Lyapunov Functions, whose existence implies l2 weak string stability. This notion is based on the vector Lyapunov function-based stability analysis, which depends on the input-to-state stability of a comparison system. Using this notion, we propose a novel distributed adaptive backstepping controller for the platoon to ensure the controller’s compositionality and distributed nature. At the same time, the closed-loop system’s internal stability and string stability are formally guaranteed. Finally, simulation studies are conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method.

KW - Mismatched disturbances

KW - adaptive control

KW - backstepping

KW - string stability

KW - vector Lyapunov functions

KW - vehicular platoons

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DO - 10.1109/TITS.2025.3604340

M3 - Article

SN - 1524-9050

JO - IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems

JF - IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems

ER -

Distributed Adaptive Backstepping Control for Vehicular Platoons With Mismatched Disturbances Using Vector String Lyapunov Functions

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

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