ABSTRACT
“Driving around in circles” typically means that drivers have lost their way. Power steering systems may introduce a bit of lag, but to a reasonable approximation the driver changes tire angle relative to the body of the car by a position control system. Position, velocity, and acceleration control systems are simplified abstractions of many control systems that may be encountered, and their simplification helps to emphasize important relations in control theory. Any theory of steering control must at least implicitly be a theory of perception as well as a theory of motion generation. Greater emphasis on minimizing control effort would correspond to more heavily weighting positional information farther from the car. A possible way of thinking about the steering system is as a means of changing the direction in which the car is pointing.
