Tracking Control of Multi-Agent Systems Using a Networked Predictive PID Tracking Scheme

With the rapid development of network technology and control technology,a networked multi-agent control system is a key direction of modern industrial control systems,such as industrial Internet systems.This paper studies the tracking control problem of networked multi-agent systems with communication constraints,where each agent has no information on the dynamics of other agents except their outputs.A networked predictive proportional integral derivative(PPID)tracking scheme is proposed to achieve the desired tracking performance,compensate actively for communication delays,and simplify implementation in a distributed manner.This scheme combines the past,present and predictive information of neighbour agents to form a tracking error signal for each agent,and applies the proportional,integral,and derivative of the agent tracking error signal to control each individual agent.The criteria of the stability and output tracking consensus of multi-agent systems with the networked PPID tracking scheme are derived through detailed analysis on the closed-loop systems.The effectiveness of the networked PPID tracking scheme is illustrated via an example.

Group Hybrid Coordination Control of Multi-Agent Systems With Time-Delays and Additive Noises

A new kind of group coordination control problemgroup hybrid coordination control is investigated in this paper.The group hybrid coordination control means that in a whole multi-agent system(MAS)that consists of two subgroups with communications between them,agents in the two subgroups achieve consensus and containment,respectively.For MASs with both time-delays and additive noises,two group control protocols are proposed to solve this problem for the containment-oriented case and consensus-oriented case,respectively.By developing a new analysis idea,some sufficient conditions and necessary conditions related to the communication intensity betw een the two subgroups are obtained for the following two types of group hybrid coordination behavior:1)Agents in one subgroup and in another subgroup achieve weak consensus and containment,respectively;2)Agents in one subgroup and in another subgroup achieve strong consensus and containment,respectively.It is revealed that the decay of the communication impact betw een the two subgroups is necessary for the consensus-oriented case.Finally,the validity of the group control results is verified by several simulation examples.

Novel ARC-Fuzzy Coordinated Automatic Tracking Control of Four-Wheeled Mobile Robot

Four-wheeled,individual-driven,nonholonomic structured mobile robots are widely used in industries for automated work,inspection and explora-tion purposes.The trajectory tracking control of the four-wheel individual-driven mobile robot is one of the most blooming research topics due to its nonholonomic structure.The wheel velocities are separately adjusted to follow the trajectory in the old-fashioned kinematic control of skid-steered mobile robots.However,there is no consideration for robot dynamics when using a kinematic controller that solely addresses the robot chassis’s motion.As a result,the mobile robot has lim-ited performance,such as chattering during curved movement.In this research work,a three-tiered adaptive robust control with fuzzy parameter estimation,including dynamic modeling,direct torque control and wheel slip control is pro-posed.Fuzzy logic-based parameter estimation is a valuable tool for adjusting adaptive robust controller(ARC)parameters and tracking the trajectories with less tracking error as well as high tracking accuracy.This research considers the O type and 8 type trajectories for performance analysis of the proposed novel control technique.Our suggested approach outperforms the existing control methods such as Fuzzy,proportional–integral–derivative(PID)and adaptive robust controller with discrete projection(ARC–DP).The experimental results show that the scheduled performance index decreases by 2.77%and 4.76%.All the experimen-tal simulations obviously proved that the proposed ARC-Fuzzy performed well in smooth groud surfaces compared to other approaches.

ON HYBRID POSITION/FORCE COORDINATED LEARNING CONTROL OF MULTIPLE MANIPULATORS

In this paper, coordinated control of multiple robot manipulators holding a rigid object is discussed. In consideration of inaccuracy of the dynamic model of a multiple manipulator system, the error equations on object position and internal force are derived. Then a hybrid position/force coordinated learning control scheme is presented and its convergence is proved. The scheme can improve the system performance by modifying the control input of the system after each iterative learning. Simulation results of two planar robot manipulators holding an object show the effectiveness of this control scheme.

Chassis Coordinated Control for Full X-by-Wire Vehicles-A Review

An X-by-wire chassis can improve the kinematic characteristics of human-vehicle closed-loop system and thus active safety especially under emergency scenarios via enabling chassis coordinated control.This paper aims to provide a complete and systematic survey on chassis coordinated control methods for full X-by-wire vehicles,with the primary goal of summarizing recent reserch advancements and stimulating innovative thoughts.Driving condition identification including driver’s operation intention,critical vehicle states and road adhesion condition and integrated control of X-by-wire chassis subsystems constitute the main framework of a chassis coordinated control scheme.Under steering and braking maneuvers,different driving condition identification methods are described in this paper.These are the trigger conditions and the basis for the implementation of chassis coordinated control.For the vehicles equipped with steering-by-wire,braking-by-wire and/or wire-controlled-suspension systems,state-of-the-art chassis coordinated control methods are reviewed including the coordination of any two or three chassis subsystems.Finally,the development trends are discussed.

Multi-model Predictive Control of Ultra-supercritical Coal-fired Power Unit

The control of ultra-supercritical(USC) power unit is a difficult issue for its characteristic of the nonlinearity, large dead time and coupling of the unit. In this paper, model predictive control(MPC) based on multi-model and double layered optimization is introduced for coordinated control of USC unit. The linear programming(LP) combined with quadratic programming(QP) is used in steady optimization for computation of the ideal value of dynamic optimization. Three inputs(i.e. valve opening, coal flow and feedwater flow) are employed to control three outputs(i.e. load, main steam temperature and main steam pressure). The step response models for the dynamic matrix control(DMC) are constructed using the three inputs and the three outputs. Piecewise models are built at selected operation points. Double-layered multi-model predictive controller is implemented in simulation with satisfactory performance.

State coordinated voltage control in an active distribution network with on-load tap changers and photovoltaic systems

Decreasing costs and favorable policies have resulted in increased penetration of solar photovoltaic(PV)power generation in distribution networks.As the PV systems penetration is likely to increase in the future,utilizing the reactive power capability of PV inverters to mitigate voltage deviations is being promoted.In recent years,droop control of inverter-based distributed energy resources has emerged as an essential tool for use in this study.The participation of PV systems in voltage regulation and its coordination with existing controllers,such as on-load tap changers,is paramount for controlling the voltage within specified limits.In this work,control strategies are presented that can be coordinated with the existing controls in a distributed manner.The effectiveness of the proposed method was demonstrated through simulation results on a distribution system.

Coordinate Control,Motion Optimization and Sea Experiment of a Fleet of Petrel-Ⅱ Gliders

The formation of hybrid underwater gliders has advantages in sustained ocean observation with high resolution and more adaptation for complicated ocean tasks. However, the current work mostly focused on the traditional gliders and AUVs.The research on control strategy and energy consumption minimization for the hybrid gliders is necessary both in methodology and experiment. A multi-layer coordinate control strategy is developed for the fleet of hybrid underwater gliders to control the gliders’ motion and formation geometry with optimized energy consumption. The inner layer integrated in the onboard controller and the outer layer integrated in the ground control center or the deck controller are designed. A coordinate control model is proposed based on multibody theory through adoption of artificial potential fields. Considering the existence of ocean flow, a hybrid motion energy consumption model is constructed and an optimization method is designed to obtain the heading angle, net buoyancy, gliding angle and the rotate speed of screw propeller to minimize the motion energy with consideration of the ocean flow. The feasibility of the coordinate control system and motion optimization method has been verified both by simulation and sea trials. Simulation results show the regularity of energy consumption with the control variables. The fleet of three Petrel-Ⅱ gliders developed by Tianjin University is deployed in the South China Sea. The trajectory error of each glider is less than 2.5 km, the formation shape error between each glider is less than 2 km, and the difference between actual energy consumption and the simulated energy consumption is less than 24% actual energy. The results of simulation and the sea trial prove the feasibility of the proposed coordinate control strategy and energy optimization method. In conclusion, a coordinate control system and a motion optimization method is studied, which can be used for reference in theoretical research and practical fleet operation for both the traditional gliders and hybrid gliders.

Coordinated control method of intersection traffic light in one-way road based on V2X

One-way roads have potential for improving vehicle speed and reducing traffic delay.Suffering from dense road network,most of adjacent intersections’distance on one-way roads becomes relatively close,which makes isolated control of intersections inefficient in this scene.Thus,it is significant to develop coordinated control of multiple intersection signals on the one-way roads.This paper proposes a signal coordination control method that is suitable for one-way arterial roads.This method uses the cooperation technology of the vehicle infrastructure to collect intersection traffic information and share information among the intersections.Adaptive signal control system is adopted for each intersection in the coordination system,and the green light time is adjusted in real time based on the number of vehicles in queue.The offset and clearance time can be calculated according to the real-time traffic volume.The proposed method was verified with simulation results by VISSIM traffic simulation software.The results compared with other methods show that the coordinated control method proposed in this paper can effectively reduce the average delay of vehicles on the arterial roads and improve the traffic efficiency.

Coordinated control strategy for robotic-assisted gait training with partial body weight support

Walking is the most basic and essential part of the activities of daily living. To enable the elderly and non-ambulatory gait-impaired patients, the repetitive practice of this task, a novel gait training robot(GTR) was designed followed the end-effector principle, and an active partial body weight support(PBWS) system was introduced to facilitate successful gait training. For successful establishment of a walking gait on the GTR with PBWS, the motion laws of the GTR were planned to enable the phase distribution relationships of the cycle step, and the center of gravity(COG) trajectory of the human body during gait training on the GTR was measured. A coordinated control strategy was proposed based on the impedance control principle. A robotic prototype was developed as a platform for evaluating the design concepts and control strategies. Preliminary gait training with a healthy subject was implemented by the robotic-assisted gait training system and the experimental results are encouraging.

Motion Planning Based Coordinated Control for Hydraulic Excavators

Hydraulic excavator is one type of the most widely applied construction equipment for various applications mainly because of its versatility and mobility. Among the tasks performed by a hydraulic excavator, repeatable level digging or flat surface finishing may take a large percentage. Using automated functions to perform such repeatable and tedious jobs will not only greatly increase the overall productivity but more importantly also improve the operation safety. For the purpose of investigating the technology without loss of generality, this research is conducted to create a coordinate control method for the boom, arm and bucket cylinders on a hydraulic excavator to perform accurate and effective works. On the basis of the kinematic analysis of the excavator linkage system, the tip trajectory of the end-effector can be determined in terms of three hydraulic cylinders coordinated motion with a visualized method. The coordination of those hydraulic cylinders is realized by controlling three electro-hydraulic proportional valves coordinately. Therefore, the complex control algorithm of a hydraulic excavator can be simplified into coordinated motion control of three individual systems. This coordinate control algorithm was validated on a wheeled hydraulic excavator, and the validation results indicated that this developed control method could satisfactorily accomplish the auto-digging function for level digging or flat surface finishing.

Finite-time coordination control for formation flying spacecraft

This paper investigates a distributed coordination control scheme using an adaptive terminal sliding mode for formation flying spacecraft with coupled attitude and translational dynamics. In order to overcome the singularity of the traditional fast terminal sliding manifold, a novel fast terminal sliding manifold is given. And then, based on the adaptive control method, a continuous robust coordinated controller is designed to compensate external disturbances and to alleviate the chattering phenomenon. The theoretical analysis shows that the coordinated controller can guarantee the finite-time stability of the overall closed-loop system through local information exchange, and numerical simulations also demonstrate its effectiveness.

Adaptive coordinated control of engine speed and battery charging voltage

In this paper, the control problem of auxiliary power unit （APU） for hybrid electric vehicles is investigated. An adaptive controller is provided to achieve the coordinated control between the engine speed and the battery charging voltage. The proposed adaptive coordinated control laws for the throttle angle of the engine and the voltage of the power-converter can guarantee not only the asymptotic tracking performance of the engine speed and the regulation of the battery charging voltage, but also the robust stability of the closed loop system under external load changes. Simulation results are given to verify the performance of the proposed adaptive controller.

Improved Voltage Control Strategy for Photovoltaic Grid-Connected System Based on DoubleLayer Coordination Control

An improved automatic voltage coordination control strategy （AVCCS） based on ;automatic voltage control （AVC） and battery energy storage control （BESC） is proposed for photovoltaic grid-connected system （PVGS） to mitigate the voltage fluctuations caused by environmental disturbances. Only AVC is used when small environ- mental disturbances happen, while BESC is incorporated with AVC to restrain the voltage fluctuations when large disturbances happen. An adjustable parameter determining the allowed amplitudes of voltage fluctuations is introduced to realize the above switching process. A benchmark low voltage distribution system including ]？VGS is established by using the commercial software Dig SILENT. Simulation results show that the voltage under AVCCS satisfies the IEEE Standard 1547, and the installed battery capacity is also reduced. Meanwhile, the battery＇s service life is ex- tended by avoiding frequent charges/discharges in the control process.

Coordination Control of Greenhouse Environmental Factors

Optimal control of greenhouse climate is one of the key techniques in digital agriculture.Greenhouse climate,a nonlinear and uncertain system,consists of several major environmental factors such as temperature,humidity,light intensity,and CO 2 concentration.Due to the complex coupled correlations,it is a challenge to achieve coordination control of greenhouse environmental factors.This paper proposes a model-free coordination control approach for greenhouse environmental factors based on Q-learning.Coordination control policy is found through systematic interaction with the dynamic environment to achieve optimal control for greenhouse climate with the control cost constraints.In order to decrease systematic trial-and-error risk and reduce the computational complexity in Q-learning algorithm,case-based reasoning （CBR） is seamlessly incorporated into the Q-learning process.The experimental results demonstrate that this approach is practical,highly effective and efficient.

Two-mode intelligent coordinating control of position for the welding positioner

A new intelligent control method for welding positioner is proposed. Applying an improved fuzzy controller and a variable PID controller, a two-mode intelligent coordinating controller ( TMICC ) is designed on basis of fuzzy logic and rules. The simulation and experimental results show that this control system can obtain better dynamic and static characteristics.

Program structures and synchronization schemes in numerical coordinate controllers of three-wire welding

In the three-wire welding system, a welding process consists of the operations of four devices, namely three welding machines and one bogie. The operations need to be synchronized by a numerical coordinate controller （ NCC ）. In this paper, we will discuss a tnsk-job-procedure cubic program structure. Under this structure, the devices are synchronized and isolated at the same time. This cubic program structure can also be used as a reference for other multi-device or multi-unit manufacturing processes.

Intelligent coordinated control of power-plant main steam pressure and power output

An intelligent coordinated control strategy has been proposed and successfully applied to a 300MW boiler-turbine unit i. e. Unit 1 of Yuanbaoshan power plant in China. Load following operation of coal-fired boiler-turbine unit in the power plant leads to changes in operating points which result in nonlinear variations of the plant variables and parameters. For the variation of operating condition and slowly varying dynamics, an intelligent control scheme has been developed by combining fuzzy self-tuning with adaptive control and auto-tuning techniques. As there exist strong couplings between control loops of main steam pressure and power output in the unit, a new design for static decoupler aimed at decoupling for setpoints and unmeasured pulverized coal disturbance of the system at the same time is presented. Satisfactory industrial application results show that such a control system has enhanced adaptability and robustness to the complex process, and better control performance and high economic benefit have been obtained.

Adaptive sliding mode control of modular self-reconfigurable spacecraft with time-delay estimation

The reconstruction control of modular self-reconfigurable spacecraft (MSRS) is addressed using an adaptive sliding mode control (ASMC) scheme based on time-delay estimation (TDE) technology. In contrast to the ground, the base of the MSRS is floating when assembled in orbit, resulting in a strong dynamic coupling effect. A TED-based ASMC technique with exponential reaching law is designed to achieve high-precision coordinated control between the spacecraft base and the robotic arm. TDE technology is used by the controller to compensate for coupling terms and uncertainties, while ASMC can augment and improve TDE’s robustness. To suppress TDE errors and eliminate chattering, a new adaptive law is created to modify gain parameters online, ensuring quick dynamic response and high tracking accuracy. The Lyapunov approach shows that the tracking errors are uniformly ultimately bounded (UUB). Finally, the on-orbit assembly process of MSRS is simulated to validate the efficacy of the proposed control scheme. The simulation results show that the proposed control method can accurately complete the target module’s on-orbit assembly, with minimal perturbations to the spacecraft’s attitude. Meanwhile, it has a high level of robustness and can effectively eliminate chattering.

Coordinated Control of Multi-Agent Systems with a Varying-Velocity Leader and Input Saturation

In this paper,we investigate a leader-following tracking problem for multi-agent systems with boundedinputs.We propose a distributed bounded protocol for each follower to track a leader whose states may not be completelymeasured.We theoretically prove that each agent can follow the leader with estimable track errors.Finally,somenumerical simulations are presented to illustrate our theoretical results.