A finite-time fuzzy adaptive output-feedback fault-tolerant control for underactuated wheeled mobile robots systems

This paper investigates the adaptive fuzzy finite-time output-feedback fault-tolerant control (FTC) problemfor a class of nonlinear underactuated wheeled mobile robots (UWMRs) system with intermittent actuatorfaults. The UWMR system includes unknown nonlinear dynamics and immeasurable states. Fuzzy logic systems(FLSs) are utilized to work out immeasurable functions. Furthermore, with the support of the backsteppingcontrol technique and adaptive fuzzy state observer, a fuzzy adaptive finite-time output-feedback FTC scheme isdeveloped under the intermittent actuator faults. It is testifying the scheme can ensure the controlled nonlinearUWMRs is stable and the estimation errors are convergent. Finally, the comparison results and simulationvalidate the effectiveness of the proposed fuzzy adaptive finite-time FTC approach.

Optimal Motion Planning for Differentially Flat Underactuated Mechanical Systems

Underactuated mechanical system has less independent inputs than the degrees of freedom（DOF） of the mechanism. The energy efficiency of this class of mechanical systems is an essential problem in practice. On the basis of the sufficient and necessary condition that concludes a single input nonlinear system is differentially flat, it is shown that the flat output of the single input underactuated mechanical system can be obtained by finding a smooth output function such that the relative degree of the system equals to the dimension of the state space. If the flat output of the underactuated system can be solved explicitly, and by constructing a smooth curve with satisfying given boundary conditions in fiat output space, an energy efficiency optimization method is proposed for the motion planning of the differentially flat underactuated mechanical systems. The inertia wheel pendulum is used to verify the proposed optimization method, and some numerical simulations show that the presented optimal motion planning method can efficaciously reduce the energy cost for given control tasks.

Adaptive Proportional-Derivative Sliding Mode Control Law With Improved Transient Performance for Underactuated Overhead Crane Systems

In this paper, an adaptive proportional-derivative sliding mode control(APD-SMC) law, is proposed for 2D underactuated overhead crane systems. The proposed controller has the advantages of simple structure, easy to implement of PD control, strong robustness of SMC with respect to external disturbances and uncertain system parameters, and adaptation for unknown system dynamics associated with the feedforward parts. In the proposed APD-SMC law, the PD control part is used to stabilize the controlled system, the SMC part is used to compensate the external disturbances and system uncertainties,and the adaptive control part is utilized to estimate the unknown system parameters. The coupling behavior between the trolley movement and the payload swing is enhanced and, therefore, the transient performance of the proposed controller is improved.The Lyapunov techniques and the La Salle's invariance theorem are employed in to support the theoretical derivations. Experimental results are provided to validate the superior performance of the proposed control law.

Second-order Sliding Mode Approaches for the Control of a Class of Underactuated Systems

In this paper, first-order and second-order sliding mode controllers for underactuated manipulators are proposed. Sliding mode control(SMC) is considered as an effective tool in different studies for control systems. However, the associated chattering phenomenon degrades the system performance. To overcome this phenomenon and track a desired trajectory, a twisting, a supertwisting and a modified super-twisting algorithms are presented respectively. The stability analysis is performed using a Lyapunov function for the proposed controllers. Further, the four different controllers are compared with each other. As an illustration, an example of an inverted pendulum is considered. Simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.

Swing Suppression and Accurate Positioning Control for Underactuated Offshore Crane Systems Suffering From Disturbances

Offshore cranes are widely applied to transfer largescale cargoes and it is challenging to develop effective control for them with sea wave disturbances. However, most existing controllers can only yield ultimate uniform boundedness or asymptotical stability results for the system's equilibrium point, and the state variables' convergence time cannot be theoretically guaranteed. To address these problems, a nonlinear sliding mode-based controller is suggested to accurately drive the boom/rope to their desired positions. Simultaneously, payload swing can be eliminated rapidly with sea waves. As we know, this paper firstly presents a controller by introducing error-related bounded functions into a sliding surface, which can realize boom/rope positioning within a finite time, and both controller design and analysis based on the nonlinear dynamics are implemented without any linearization manipulations. Moreover, the stability analysis is theoretically ensured with the Lyapunov method. Finally, we employ some experiments to validate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

Robust stabilization and disturbance attenuation for a class of underactuated mechanical systems

The robust control problem for a class of underactuated mechanical systems called acrobots is addressed. The goal is to drive the acrobots away from the straight-down position and balance them at the straight-up unstable equilibrium position in the presence of parametric uncertainties and external disturbance. First, in the swing-up area, it is shown that the time derivative of energy is independent of the parameter uncertainties, but exogenous disturbance may destroy the characteristic of increase in mechanical energy. So, a swing-up controller with compensator is designed to suppress the influence of the disturbance. Then, in the attractive area, the control problem is formulated into a H~ control framework by introducing a proper error signal, and a sufficient condition of the existence of Hoo state feedback control law based on linear matrix inequality （LMI） is proposed to guarantee the quadratic stability of the control system. Finally, the simulation results show that the proposed control approach can simultaneously handle a maximum ±10% parameter perturbation and a big disturbance simultaneously.

MOTION CONTROL OF A CLASS OF UNDERACTUATED MECHANICAL SYSTEMS: THE ACROBOT EXAMPLE

Presents a control strategy for underactuated mechanical system: the acrobot example, which combines fuzzy control and linear quadratic control. The fuzzy controller designed for the upswing ensures that the energy of the acrobot increases with each swing. After the acrobot enters a neighborhood of the unstable straight up equilibrium position, a linear quadratic regulator is designed to balance it.

Intelligent Integrated Control of Underactuated Mechanical Systems with Second-order Nonholonomic Constraints

This paper describes an intelligent integrated control of an acrobot, which is an underactuated mechanical system with second-order nonholonomic constraints. The control combines a model-free fuzzy control, a fuzzy sliding-mode control and a model-based fuzzy control. The model-free fuzzy controller designed for the upswing ensures that the energy of the acrobot increases with each swing. Then the fuzzy sliding-mode controller is employed to control the movement that the acrobot enters the balance area from the swing-up area. The model-based fuzzy controller, which is based on a Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model, is used to balance the acrobot. The stability of the fuzzy control system for balance control is guaranteed by a common symmetric positive matrix, which satisfies linear matrix inequalities.

Dynamic modeling and nonlinear control strategy for an underactuated quad rotor rotorcraft

In this paper, a nonlinear dynamic MIMO model of a 6-DOF underactuated quad rotor rotorcraft is derived based on Newton-Euler formalism. The derivation comprises determining equations of motion of the quad rotor in three dimensions and seeking to approximate the actuation forces through modeling of the aerodynamic coefficients and electric motor dynamics. The derived model is dynamically unstable, so a sequential nonlinear control strategy is implemented for the quad rotor. The control strategy includes exact feedback linearization technique, using the geometric methods of nonlinear control. The performance of the nonlinear control algorithm is evaluated using simulation and the results show the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy for the quad rotor rotorcraft near quasi-stationary flight.

An Anthropomorphic Robot Hand Developed Based on Underactuated Mechanism and Controlled by EMG Signals

When developing a humanoid myo-control hand,not only the mechanical structure should be considered to afford a high dexterity,but also the myoelectric (electromyography,EMG) control capability should be taken into account to fully accomplish the actuation tasks.This paper presents a novel humanoid robotic myocontrol hand (AR hand Ⅲ) which adopted an underac- tuated mechanism and a forearm myocontrol EMG method.The AR hand Ⅲ has five fingers and 15 joints,and actuated by three embedded motors.Underactuation can be found within each finger and between the rest three fingers (the middle finger,the ring finger and the little finger) when the hand is grasping objects.For the EMG control,two specific methods are proposed:the three-fingered hand gesture configuration of the AR hand Ⅲ and a pattern classification method of EMG signals based on a statistical learning algorithm-Support Vector Machine (SVM).Eighteen active hand gestures of a testee are recognized ef- fectively,which can be directly mapped into the motions of AR hand Ⅲ.An on-line EMG control scheme is established based on two different decision functions:one is for the discrimination between the idle and active modes,the other is for the recog- nition of the active modes.As a result,the AR hand Ⅲ can swiftly follow the gesture instructions of the testee with a time delay less than 100 ms.

Trajectory tracking control for underactuated unmanned surface vehicles with dynamic uncertainties

The trajectory tracking control problem for underactuated unmanned surface vehicles(USV) was addressed, and the control system took account of the uncertain influences induced by model perturbation, external disturbance, etc. By introducing the reference, trajectory was generated by a virtual USV, and the error equation of trajectory tracking for USV was obtained, which transformed the tracking problem of underactuated USV into the stabilization problem of the trajectory tracking error equation. A backstepping adaptive sliding mode controller was proposed based on backstepping technology and method of dynamic slide model control. By means of theoretical analysis, it is proved that the proposed controller ensures that the solutions of closed loop system have the ultimate boundedness property. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

Trajectory planning and tracking control for underactuated unmanned surface vessels

The trajectory planning and tracking control for an underactuated unmanned surface vessel(USV) were addressed.The reference trajectory was generated by a virtual USV,and the error equation of trajectory tracking for underactuated USV was obtained,which transformed the tracking and stabilization problem of underactuated USV into the stabilization problem of the trajectory tracking error equation.A nonlinear state feedback controller was proposed based on backstepping technique and Lyapunov's direct method.By means of Lyapunov analysis,it is proved that the proposed controller ensures that the solutions of closed loop system have the ultimate boundedness property.Numerical simulation results are presented to validate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller.

Optimal reorientation of underactuated spacecraft using genetic algorithm with wavelet approximation

The optimal attitude control of an underactuated spacecraft is investigated in this paper. The flywheels of the spacecraft can somehow only provide control inputs in two independent directions. The dynamic equations are formulated for the spacecraft under a nonholonomic constraint resulting from the constant time-rate of the total angular momentum of the system. The reorientation of such underactuated spacecraft is transformed into an optimal control problem. A genetic algorithm is proposed to derive the control laws of the two flywheels angle velocity inputs. The control laws are approximated by the discrete orthogonal wavelets. The numerical simulations indicate that the genetic algorithm with the wavelet approximation is an effective approach to deal with the optimal reorientation of underactuated spacecraft.

A New Grasping Mode Based on a Sucked-type Underactuated Hand

Robot hands have been developing during the last few decades. There are many mechanical structures and analyti?cal methods for di erent hands. But many tough problems still limit robot hands to apply in homelike environment. The ability of grasping objects covering a large range of sizes and various shapes is fundamental for a home service robot to serve people better. In this paper, a new grasping mode based on a novel sucked?type underactuated(STU) hand is proposed. By combining the flexibility of soft material and the e ect of suction cups, the STU hand can grasp objects with a wide range of sizes, shapes and materials. Moreover, the new grasping mode is suitable for some situations where the force closure is failure. In this paper, we deduce the e ective range of sizes of objects which our hand using the new grasping mode can grasp. Thanks to the new grasping mode, the ratio of grasping size between the biggest object and the smallest is beyond 40, which makes it possible for our robot hand to grasp diverse objects in our daily life. For example, the STU hand can grasp a soccer(220 mm diameter, 420 g) and a fountain pen(9 mm diameter, 9 g). What’s more, we use the rigid body equilibrium conditions to analysis the force condition. Experiment evaluates the high load capacity, stability of the new grasping mode and displays the versatility of the STU hand. The STU hand has a wide range of applications especially in unstructured environment.

SELF-RECONFIGURATION OF UNDERACTUATED REDUNDANT MANIPULATORS WITH OPTIMIZING THE FLEXIBILITY ELLIPSOID

The multi-modes feature, the measure of the manipulating flexibility, andself-reconfiguration control method of the underactuated redundant manipulators are investigatedbased on the optimizing technology. The relationship between the configuration of the joint spaceand the manipulating flexibility of the underactuated redundant manipulator is analyzed, a newmeasure of manipulating flexibility ellipsoid for the underactuated redundant manipulator withpassive joints in locked mode is proposed, which can be used to get the optimal configuration forthe realization of the self-reconfiguration control. Furthermore, a time-varying nonlinear controlmethod based on harmonic inputs is suggested for fulfilling the self-reconfiguration. A simulationexample of a three-DOFs underactuated manipulator with one passive joint features some aspects ofthe investigations.

A nonlinear bottom-following controller for underactuated autonomous underwater vehicles

The bottom-following problem for underactuated autonomous underwater vehicles （AUV） was addressed by a new type of nonlinear decoupling control law. The vertical bottom-following error and pitch angle error are stabilized by means of the stem plane, and the thruster is left to stabilize the longitudinal bottom-following error and forward speed. In order to better meet the need of engineering applications, working characteristics of the actuators were sufficiently considered to design the proposed controller. Different from the traditional method, the methodology used to solve the problem is generated by AUV model without a reference orientation, and it deals explicitly with vehicle dynamics and the geometric characteristics of the desired tracking bottom curve. The estimation of systemic uncertainties and disturbances and the pitch velocity PE （persistent excitation） conditions are not required. The stability analysis is given by Lyapunov theorem. Simulation results of a full nonlinear hydrodynamic AUV model are provided to validate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller.

Path following control of underactuated ships based on nonswitch analytic model predictive control

A path following controller is developed for underactuated ships with only surge force and yaw moment available to follow a predefined path.The proposed controller is based on nonswitch analytic model predictive control.It is shown that the optimal control law for a nonlinear path following system with ill-defined relative degree is continuous and nonsingular.The problem of ill-defined relative degree is solved.The path-following ability of the nonlinear system is guaranteed.Numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control law.

Diving control of underactuated unmanned undersea vehicle using integral-fast terminal sliding mode control

The problem of diving control for an underactuated unmanned undersea vehicle(UUV) considering the presence of parameters perturbations and wave disturbances was addressesed.The vertical motion of an UUV was divided into two noninteracting subsystems for surge velocity control and diving.To stabilize the vertical motion system,the surge velocity and the depth control controllers were proposed using backstepping technology and an integral-fast terminal sliding mode control(IFTSMC).It is proven that the proposed control scheme can guarantee that all the error signals in the whole closed-loop system globally converge to the sliding surface in finite time and asymptotically converge to the origin along the sliding surface.With a unified control parameters for different motion states,a series of numerical simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the above designed control scheme,which also shows strong robustness against parameters perturbations and wave disturbances.

Adaptive robust dissipative designs on straight path control for underactuated ships

An adaptive robust control algorithm for ship straight path control system in the presence of both modeling uncertainties and the bounded disturbances is proposed. Motivated by the backstepping approach, the algorithm is developed by using the dissipation theory, such that the resulting dosed-loop system is both strictly dissipative and asymptotically adaptively stable for all admissible uncertainties. Also, it is able to steer an underactuated ship along a prescribed straight path with ultimate bounds under external disturbances induced by wave, wind and ocean current. When there are no disturbances, the straight path control can be implemented in a locally asymptotically stable manner. Simulation results on an ocean-going training ship ‘YULONG＇ are presented to validate the effectiveness of the algorithm.

Robust Adaptive Path Following for Underactuated Surface Vessels with Uncertain Dynamics

A robust adaptive control strategy was developed to force an underactuated surface vessel to follow a reference path,despite the presence of uncertain parameters and unstructured uncertainties including exogenous disturbances and measurement noise.The reference path can be a curve or a straight line.The proposed controller was designed by using Lyapunov’s direct method and sliding mode control and backstepping techniques.Because the sway axis of the vessel was not directly actuated,two sliding surfaces were introduced,the first one in terms of the surge motion tracking errors and the second one for the yaw motion tracking errors.The adaptive control law guaranteed the uniform ultimate boundedness of the tracking errors.Numerical simulation results were provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed controller for path following of underactuated surface vessels.