Modelling and model predictive control for a bicycle-rider system

This study proposes a bicycle-rider control model based on model predictive control (MPC). First, a bicycle-rider model with leaning motion of the rider’s upper body is developed. The initial simulation data of the bicycle rider are then used to identify the linear model of the system in state-space form for MPC design. Control characteristics of the proposed controller are assessed by simulating the roll-angle tracking control. In this riding task, the MPC uses steering and leaning torques as the control inputs to control the bicycle along a reference roll angle. The simulation results in different cases have demonstrated the applicability and performance of the MPC for bicycle-rider modelling.