Locomotion

Ackermann Steering

Ackermann steering is a steering geometry for wheeled vehicles in which the front wheels are turned at slightly different angles so that their axes intersect at a common instantaneous center of rotation, allowing all wheels to roll without lateral slip. Vehicles using it are nonholonomic: they cannot translate sideways, which constrains feasible paths. The kinematic bicycle model is the standard simplification used for planning and control.

Why it matters for physical AI

Autonomous vehicles, delivery robots, and outdoor platforms with car-like bases require planners and learned policies that respect Ackermann constraints, since paths feasible for differential-drive robots may be undrivable for them.