The point stabilization problem for a robot-wheel is considered. The
problem consists in synthesizing control torque in the form of a feedback
that brings the wheel from an arbitrary initial position on a straight line to
a given one, with the control torque and the maximum velocity of wheel
motion being constrained. To meet the phase and control constraints,
an advanced feedback law in the form of nested saturation functions is
suggested. Two of the four coefficients employed in the saturation functions are uniquely determined by the limit value of the control torque
and the maximum allowed wheel velocity, while selection of the other two
coefficients can be used to optimize performance of the controller. The
optimality is meant in the sense that the phase portrait of the closed-loop
system is topologically similar to that of a stable degenerate node, with
the asymptotic rate of decrease of the distance to the target point being
as high as possible. The discussion is illustrated by numerical examples.