This research presents the path tracking control of a four-wheel Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) using an optimized Fractional Order Proportional Integral Derivative (FOPID) controller. The kinematic model of the UGV is modelled and simulated using Simulink to track a path generated on the basis of the navigation behaviour of the bat. The trajectory tracking error recorded is minimized by developing an optimized FOPID controller using Elite Opposition Bat Algorithm (EOBA). This improved the tracking accuracy of the UGV in following the trajectory generated. The developed control system (FOPID-EOBA) is implemented in MATLAB R2020a, evaluated using tracking error, tracking accuracy, and settling time and compared against the PID-GA based system. The simulation results showed that the FOPID-EOBA based system had an average tracking error of 0.028m, average tracking accuracy of 96% and settling time of 0.75 seconds, while the PID-GA based system obtained an average tracking error 0.083m, average tracking accuracy of 88% and settling time of 15.03 seconds. This implies that the FOPID-EOBA based controller tracks the path generated faster with better tracking accuracy than the PID-GA based controller.
