Finite-time tracking control and vibration suppression based on the concept of virtual control force for flexible two-link space robot

The dynamic modeling, finite-time trajectory tracking control and vibration suppression of a flexible two-link space robot are studied. Firstly, the dynamic model of the system is established by combining Lagrange method with assumed mode method. In order to ensure that the base attitude and the joints of space robot can reach the desired positions within a limited time, a non-singular fast terminal sliding mode(NFTSM) controller is designed, which realizes the finite-time convergence of the trajectory tracking errors. Subsequently, for the sake of suppressing the vibrations of flexible links, a hybrid trajectory based on the concept of the virtual control force is developed, which can reflect the flexible modes and the trajectory tracking errors simultaneously. By modifying the original control scheme, a NFTSM hybrid controller is proposed. The hybrid control scheme can not only realized attitude stabilization and trajectory tracking of joints in finite time, but also provide a new method of vibration suppression. The simulation results verify the effectiveness of the designed hybrid control strategy.

Finite-time Prescribed Performance Time-Varying Formation Control for Second-Order Multi-Agent Systems With Non-Strict Feedback Based on a Neural Network Observer

This paper studies the problem of time-varying formation control with finite-time prescribed performance for nonstrict feedback second-order multi-agent systems with unmeasured states and unknown nonlinearities.To eliminate nonlinearities,neural networks are applied to approximate the inherent dynamics of the system.In addition,due to the limitations of the actual working conditions,each follower agent can only obtain the locally measurable partial state information of the leader agent.To address this problem,a neural network state observer based on the leader state information is designed.Then,a finite-time prescribed performance adaptive output feedback control strategy is proposed by restricting the sliding mode surface to a prescribed region,which ensures that the closed-loop system has practical finite-time stability and that formation errors of the multi-agent systems converge to the prescribed performance bound in finite time.Finally,a numerical simulation is provided to demonstrate the practicality and effectiveness of the developed algorithm.

Adaptive Trajectory Tracking Control for Nonholonomic Wheeled Mobile Robots:A Barrier Function Sliding Mode Approach

The trajectory tracking control performance of nonholonomic wheeled mobile robots(NWMRs)is subject to nonholonomic constraints,system uncertainties,and external disturbances.This paper proposes a barrier function-based adaptive sliding mode control(BFASMC)method to provide high-precision,fast-response performance and robustness for NWMRs.Compared with the conventional adaptive sliding mode control,the proposed control strategy can guarantee that the sliding mode variables converge to a predefined neighborhood of origin with a predefined reaching time independent of the prior knowledge of the uncertainties and disturbances bounds.Another advantage of the proposed algorithm is that the control gains can be adaptively adjusted to follow the disturbances amplitudes thanks to the barrier function.The benefit is that the overestimation of control gain can be eliminated,resulting in chattering reduction.Moreover,a modified barrier function-like control gain is employed to prevent the input saturation problem due to the physical limit of the actuator.The stability analysis and comparative experiments demonstrate that the proposed BFASMC can ensure the prespecified convergence performance of the NWMR system output variables and strong robustness against uncertainties/disturbances.

Finite-Time Stabilization for Constrained Discrete-time Systems by Using Model Predictive Control

In this paper, a model predictive control(MPC)framework is proposed for finite-time stabilization of linear and nonlinear discrete-time systems subject to state and control constraints. The proposed MPC framework guarantees the finite-time convergence property by assigning the control horizon equal to the dimension of the overall system, and only penalizing the terminal cost in the optimization, where the stage costs are not penalized explicitly. A terminal inequality constraint is added to guarantee the feasibility and stability of the closed-loop system.Initial feasibility can be improved via augmentation. The finite-time convergence of the proposed MPC is proved theoretically,and is supported by simulation examples.

Practical Prescribed Time Tracking Control With Bounded Time-Varying Gain Under Non-Vanishing Uncertainties

This paper investigates the prescribed-time control(PTC) problem for a class of strict-feedback systems subject to non-vanishing uncertainties. The coexistence of mismatched uncertainties and non-vanishing disturbances makes PTC synthesis nontrivial. In this work, a control method that does not involve infinite time-varying gain is proposed, leading to a practical and global prescribed time tracking control solution for the strict-feedback systems, in spite of both the mismatched and nonvanishing uncertainties. Different from methods based on control switching to avoid the issue of infinite control gain that involves control discontinuity at the switching point, in our method a softening unit is exclusively included to ensure the continuity of the control action. Furthermore, in contrast to most existing prescribed-time control works where the control scheme is only valid on a finite time interval, in this work, the proposed control scheme is valid on the entire time interval. In addition, the prior information on the upper or lower bound of gi is not in need,enlarging the applicability of the proposed method. Both the theoretical analysis and numerical simulation confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm.

Path Tracking Controller Design of Automated Parking Systems via NMPC with an Instructible Solution

Parking difficulties have become a social issue that people have to solve.Automated parking system is practicable for quick par operations without a driver which can also greatly reduces the probability of parking accidents.The paper proposes a Lyapunov-based nonlinear model predictive controller embedding an instructable solution which is generated by the modified rear-wheel feedback method(RF-LNMPC)in order to improve the overall path tracking accuracy in parking conditions.Firstly,A discrete-time RF-LNMPC considering the position and attitude of the parking vehicle is proposed to increase the success rate of automated parking effectively.Secondly,the RF-LNMPC problem with a multi-objective cost function is solved by the Interior-Point Optimization,of which the iterative initial values are described as the instructable solutions calculated by combining modified rear-wheel feedback to improve the performance of local optimal solution.Thirdly,the details on the computation of the terminal constraint and terminal cost for the linear time-varying case is presented.The closed-loop stability is verified via Lyapunov techniques by considering the terminal constraint and terminal cost theoretically.Finally,the proposed RF-LNMPC is implemented on a selfdriving Lincoln MKZ platform and the experiment results have shown improved performance in parallel and vertical parking conditions.The Monte Carlo analysis also demonstrates good stability and repeatability of the proposed method which can be applied in practical use in the near future.

Adaptive state-constrained/model-free iterative sliding mode control for aerial robot trajectory tracking

This paper develops a novel hierarchical control strategy for improving the trajectory tracking capability of aerial robots under parameter uncertainties.The hierarchical control strategy is composed of an adaptive sliding mode controller and a model-free iterative sliding mode controller(MFISMC).A position controller is designed based on adaptive sliding mode control(SMC)to safely drive the aerial robot and ensure fast state convergence under external disturbances.Additionally,the MFISMC acts as an attitude controller to estimate the unmodeled dynamics without detailed knowledge of aerial robots.Then,the adaption laws are derived with the Lyapunov theory to guarantee the asymptotic tracking of the system state.Finally,to demonstrate the performance and robustness of the proposed control strategy,numerical simulations are carried out,which are also compared with other conventional strategies,such as proportional-integralderivative(PID),backstepping(BS),and SMC.The simulation results indicate that the proposed hierarchical control strategy can fulfill zero steady-state error and achieve faster convergence compared with conventional strategies.

Reinforcement learning based adaptive control for uncertain mechanical systems with asymptotic tracking

This paper mainly focuses on the development of a learning-based controller for a class of uncertain mechanical systems modeled by the Euler-Lagrange formulation.The considered system can depict the behavior of a large class of engineering systems,such as vehicular systems,robot manipulators and satellites.All these systems are often characterized by highly nonlinear characteristics,heavy modeling uncertainties and unknown perturbations,therefore,accurate-model-based nonlinear control approaches become unavailable.Motivated by the challenge,a reinforcement learning(RL)adaptive control methodology based on the actor-critic framework is investigated to compensate the uncertain mechanical dynamics.The approximation inaccuracies caused by RL and the exogenous unknown disturbances are circumvented via a continuous robust integral of the sign of the error(RISE)control approach.Different from a classical RISE control law,a tanh(·)function is utilized instead of a sign(·)function to acquire a more smooth control signal.The developed controller requires very little prior knowledge of the dynamic model,is robust to unknown dynamics and exogenous disturbances,and can achieve asymptotic output tracking.Eventually,co-simulations through ADAMS and MATLAB/Simulink on a three degrees-of-freedom(3-DOF)manipulator and experiments on a real-time electromechanical servo system are performed to verify the performance of the proposed approach.

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.

Guaranteed Cost Attitude Tracking Control for Uncertain Quadrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Under Safety Constraints

In this paper,guaranteed cost attitude tracking con-trol for uncertain quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle(QUAV)under safety constraints is studied.First,an augmented system is constructed by the tracking error system and reference system.This transformation aims to convert the tracking control prob-lem into a stabilization control problem.Then,control barrier function and disturbance attenuation function are designed to characterize the violations of safety constraints and tolerance of uncertain disturbances,and they are incorporated into the reward function as penalty items.Based on the modified reward function,the problem is simplified as the optimal regulation problem of the nominal augmented system,and a new Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation is developed.Finally,critic-only rein-forcement learning algorithm with a concurrent learning tech-nique is employed to solve the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equa-tion and obtain the optimal controller.The proposed algorithm can not only ensure the reward function within an upper bound in the presence of uncertain disturbances,but also enforce safety constraints.The performance of the algorithm is evaluated by the numerical simulation.

Demagnetization Analysis and Velocity Tracking Control of In-wheel Motor

The error caused by irreversible demagnetization damages the accurate velocity tracking of an in-wheel motor in a mobile robot.A current feedforward vector control system based on ESO is proposed to compensate it for the demagnetization motor.A demagnetization mathematical model is established to describe a permanent magnet synchronous motor,which took the change of permanent magnet flux linkage parameters as a factor to count the demagnetization error in velocity tracking.The uncertain disturbance estimation model of the control system is built based on ESO,which eliminates the system error by the feedforward current compensation.It is compared with the vector control method in terms of control accuracy.The simulation results show that the current feedforward vector control method based on ESO reduces the velocity tracking error greatly in conditions of motor demagnetization less than 30%.It is effective to improve the operation accuracy of the mobile robot.

Practical prescribed-time fuzzy tracking control for uncertain nonlinear systems with time-varying actuators faults

The paper investigates the practical prescribed-time fuzzy tracking control problem for a category of nonlinear system subject to time-varying actuator faults.The presence of unknown nonlinear dynamics and actuator faults makes achieving tracking control within a prescribed-time challenging.To tackle this issue,we propose a novel practical prescribed-time fuzzy tracking control strategy,which is independent of the initial state of the system and does not rely on precise modeling of the system and actuators.We apply the approximation capabilities of fuzzy logic systems to handle the unknown nonlinear functions and unidentified actuator faults in the system.The piecewise controller and adaptive law constructed based on piecewise prescribed time-varying function and backstepping technique method establish the theoretical framework of practical prescribed-time tracking control,and extend the range of prescribed-time tracking control to infinity.Regardless of the initial conditions,the proposed control strategy can guarantee that all signals remain uniformly bounded within the practical prescribed time in the presence of unknown nonlinear item and time-varying actuator faults.Simulation example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.

Adaptive Robust Control with Leakage-Type Control Law for Trajectory Tracking of Exoskeleton Robots

This paper investigates the trajectory following problem of exoskeleton robots with numerous constraints. However, as a typical nonlinear system with variability and parameter uncertainty, it is difficult to accurately achieve the trajectory tracking control for exoskeletons. In this paper, we present a robust control of trajectory tracking control based on servo constraints. Firstly, we consider the uncertainties (e.g., modelling errors, initial condition deviations, structural vibrations, and other unknown external disturbances) in the exoskeleton system, which are time-varying and bounded. Secondly, we establish the dynamic model and formulate a close-loop connection between the dynamic model and the real world. Then, the trajectory tracking issue is regarded as a servo constraint problem, and an adaptive robust control with leakage-type adaptive law is proposed with the guaranteed Lyapunov stability. Finally, we conduct numerical simulations to verify the performance of the proposed controller.

Adaptive backstepping finite-time sliding mode control of spacecraft attitude tracking

This paper investigates the finite-time attitude tracking problem for rigid spacecraft. Two backstepping finite-time slid- ing mode control laws are proposed to solve this problem in the presence of inertia uncertainties and external disturbances. The first control scheme is developed by combining sliding mode con- trol with a backstepping technique to achieve fast and accurate tracking responses. To obtain higher tracking precision and relax the requirement of the upper bounds on the uncertainties, a se- cond control law is also designed by combining the second or- der sliding mode control and an adaptive backstepping technique. This control law provides complete compensation of uncertainty and disturbances. Although it assumes that the uncertainty and disturbances are bounded, the proposed control law does not require information about the bounds on the uncertainties and disturbances. Finite-time convergence of attitude tracking errors and the stability of the closed-loop system are ensured by the Lya- punov approach. Numerical simulations on attitude tracking control of spacecraft are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed controllers.

Prescribed Performance Finite-Time Tracking Control for Uncertain Nonlinear Systems

This work investigates the finite-time tracking control problem for a class of uncertain strict-feedback nonlinear systems from a new perspective. First, a novel concept called finite-time performance function (FTPF) is defined. Further, a new sufficien t condition of finite-time st ability is derived and the tracking error can converge to a predefined region within a finite-time interval. The design process of the proposed technique is simpler. Finally, four simulation examples are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of presented method.

FINITE-TIME TRACKING CONTROL FOR MOTOR SERVO SYSTEMS WITH UNKNOWN DEAD-ZONES

A finite-time tracking control scheme is proposed in this paper based on the terminal sliding mode principle for motor servo systems with unknown nonlinear dead-zone inputs.By using the differential mean value theorem,the dead-zone is represented as a time-varying system and thus the inverse compensation approach is avoided.Then,an indirect terminal sliding mode control(ITSMC)is developed to guarantee the finite-time convergence of the tracking error and to overcome the singularity problem in the traditional terminal sliding mode control.In the proposed controller design,the unknown nonlinearity of the system is approximated by a simple sigmoid neural network,and the approximation error is diminished by employing a robust term.Comparative experiments on a turntable servo system are conducted to show the superior performance of the proposed method.

Modeling and Finite-Time Tracking Control for Mobile Manipulators with Affine and Holonomic Constraints

This paper focuses on the problem of modeling and finite-time tracking control for mobile manipulators with affine and holonomic constraints. A reduced dynamic model is obtained by appropriately processing anne and holonomic constraints, respectively. Then finite-time tracking controllers are designed to ensure that output tracking errors of closed-loop system converge to zero in finite time while the constraint force remains bounded. Finally, detailed simulation results are provided to confirm the effectiveness of the control strategy.

Finite-time attitude tracking control for spacecraft without angular velocity measurements

The output feedback control for spacecraft attitude tracking system is investigated in this study. It is assumed that angular velocity measurements are not available for feedback control.A technique named adding power integrator(API) is adopted to estimate the pseudo-angular-velocity. Then we design a finite-time attitude control law, which only utilizes the relative attitude information. The stability analyses of the feedback system are proved as well, which shows the attitude tracking errors will converge into a region of zero even the external disturbances exist. The simulation results illustrate the high precision and robust attitude control performance of the proposed control strategy.

Time-varying formation finite-time tracking control for multi-UAV systems under jointly connected topologies

Purpose–The purpose of this paper is to investigate the time-varying finite-time formation tracking control problem for multiple unmanned aerial vehicle systems under switching topologies,where the states of the unmanned aerial vehicles need to form desired time-varying formations while tracking the trajectory of the virtual leader in finite time under jointly connected topologies.Design/methodology/approach–A consensus-based formation control protocol is constructed to achieve the desired formation.In this paper,the time-varying formation is specified by a piecewise continuously differentiable vector,while the finite-time convergence is guaranteed by utilizing a non-linear function.Based on the graph theory,the finite-time stability of the close-loop system with the proposed control protocol under jointly connected topologies is proven by applying LaSalle’s invariance principle and the theory of homogeneity with dilation.Findings–The effectiveness of the proposed protocol is verified by numerical simulations.Consequently,the proposed protocol can successfully achieve the predefined time-varying formation in finite time under jointly connected topologies while tracking the trajectory generated by the leader.Originality/value–This paper proposes a solution to simultaneously solve the control problems of time-varying formation tracking,finite-time convergence,and switching topologies.

Trajectory tracking guidance of interceptor via prescribed performance integral sliding mode with neural network disturbance observer

This paper investigates interception missiles’trajectory tracking guidance problem under wind field and external disturbances in the boost phase.Indeed,the velocity control in such trajectory tracking guidance systems of missiles is challenging.As our contribution,the velocity control channel is designed to deal with the intractable velocity problem and improve tracking accuracy.The global prescribed performance function,which guarantees the tracking error within the set range and the global convergence of the tracking guidance system,is first proposed based on the traditional PPF.Then,a tracking guidance strategy is derived using the integral sliding mode control techniques to make the sliding manifold and tracking errors converge to zero and avoid singularities.Meanwhile,an improved switching control law is introduced into the designed tracking guidance algorithm to deal with the chattering problem.A back propagation neural network(BPNN)extended state observer(BPNNESO)is employed in the inner loop to identify disturbances.The obtained results indicate that the proposed tracking guidance approach achieves the trajectory tracking guidance objective without and with disturbances and outperforms the existing tracking guidance schemes with the lowest tracking errors,convergence times,and overshoots.