Homogeneous observers, iterative design, and global stabilization of high-order nonlinear systems by smooth output feedback

We study the problem of global stabilization by smooth output feedback, for a class of n-dimensional homogeneous systems whose Jacobian linearization is neither controllable nor observable. A new output feedback control scheme is proposed for the explicit design of both homogeneous observers and controllers. While the smooth state feedback control law is constructed based on the tool of adding a power integrator, the observer design is new and carried out by developing a machinery, which makes it possible to assign the observer gains one-by-one, in an iterative manner. Such design philosophy is fundamentally different from that of the traditional "Luenberger" observer in which the observer gain is determined by observability. In the case of linear systems, our design method provides not only a new insight but also an alternative solution to the output feedback stabilization problem. For a class of high-order nonhomogeneous systems, we further show how the proposed design method, with an appropriate modification, can still achieve global output feedback stabilization. Examples and simulations are given to demonstrate the main features and effectiveness of the proposed output feedback control schemes.     

Recursive design of discontinuous controllers for uncertain driftless systems in power chained form

Investigates the problem of almost asymptotic stabilization for a class of uncertain driftless systems in power chained form. The main obstacles for the control of this new type of driftless systems are: i) nonexistence of any time-invariant smooth (or even continuous) state feedback control law; ii) lack of affineness in the control input; and iii) high-order nonlinearities that make most of the nonlinear design methods inapplicable. To overcome these difficulties we propose a constructive approach that combines a discontinuous change of coordinates and the recent adding a power integrator technique. Sufficient conditions are given under which discontinuous robust and adaptive controllers can be explicitly constructed, achieving almost stabilization and adaptive regulation. Solutions to the problems of global robust regulation and adaptive regulation are also obtained by using switching control schemes.     

Semi‐global stabilization of nonlinear systems by nonsmooth output feedback

Semi‐global stabilization by output feedback is studied for a class of nonuniformly observable and nonsmoothly stabilizable nonlinear systems. The contribution of this paper is to point out that most of the restrictive growth conditions required in the previous work can be relaxed or removed if a less demanding control objective, namely, semi‐global instead of global stabilization is sought. In particular, it is proved that without imposing restrictive conditions, semi‐global stabilization by nonsmooth output feedback can be achieved for a chain of odd power integrators perturbed by a smooth triangular vector field, although it is neither smoothly stabilizable nor uniformly observable. Extensions to nonstrictly triangular systems are also discussed in the two‐dimensional case. Several examples are provided to illustrate the key features of the proposed semi‐global output feedback controllers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Global output regulation and disturbance attenuation with globalstability via measurement feedback for a class of nonlinear systems

Considers the problem of global stabilization via output feedback for a class of nonlinear systems which have been previously considered by many authors and are characterized by having nonlinear terms depending only on the output y. The author's result incorporates many previous results. When static output feedback is considered, it is shown that the existence of an output control Lyapunov function, satisfying a suitable continuity property, is sufficient for constructing a continuous output feedback law u=k(y) which globally (or semiglobally) stabilizes the above class of systems. When dynamic output feedback is allowed, it is shown that the stabilization problem can be split into two independent stabilization subproblems: one is the corresponding problem via state feedback, and the other is the problem via output injection. From solving the two subproblems, one obtains two Lyapunov functions which, combined, give a candidate Lyapunov function for solving the output feedback stabilization problem. The proofs of the author's results give systematic procedures for constructing output feedback controllers, once two such Lyapunov functions are known. One can also consider the problem of output regulation and disturbance attenuation with global stability via measurement feedback and show that a similar “separation” condition holds     

Robust output feedback stabilization of uncertain nonlinear systems with uncontrollable and unobservable linearization

This paper investigates the problem of robust output feedback stabilization for a family of uncertain nonlinear systems with uncontrollable/unobservable linearization. To achieve global robust stabilization via smooth output feedback, we introduce a rescaling transformation with an appropriate dilation, which turns out to be very effective in dealing with uncertainty of the system. Using this rescaling technique combined with the nonseparation principle based design method, we develop a robust output feedback control scheme for uncertain nonlinear systems in the p-normal form, under a homogeneous growth condition. The construction of smooth state feedback controllers and homogeneous observers uses only the knowledge of the bounding homogeneous system rather than the uncertain system itself. The robust output feedback design approach is then extended to a class of uncertain cascade systems beyond a strict-triangular structure. Examples are provided to illustrate the results of the paper.     

Stabilization of sets with application to multi-vehicle coordinated motion

In this paper, we develop stability and control design framework for time-varying and time-invariant sets of nonlinear dynamical systems using vector Lyapunov functions. Several Lyapunov functions arise naturally in multi-agent systems, where each agent can be associated with a generalized energy function which further becomes a component of a vector Lyapunov function. We apply the developed control framework to the problem of multi-vehicle coordinated motion to design distributed controllers for individual vehicles moving in a specified formation. The main idea of our approach is that a moving formation of vehicles can be characterized by a time-varying set in the state space, and hence, the problem of distributed control design for multi-vehicle coordinated motion is equivalent to the design of stabilizing controllers for time-varying sets of nonlinear dynamical systems. The control framework is shown to ensure global exponential stabilization of multi-vehicle formations. Finally, we implement the feedback stabilizing controllers for time-invariant sets to achieve global exponential stabilization of static formations of multiple vehicles.     

Global approximate output tracking for nonlinear systems

Addresses the global output tracking problem for nonlinear systems with singular points. For nonlinear systems which satisfy a suitable observability condition, the authors identify a class of smooth output trajectories which the system can track using continuous open-loop controls. This class includes all output trajectories generated by smooth state feedback. They then study the problem of approximate output tracking using discontinuous time-varying feedback controllers. Given a smooth output trajectory for which exact tracking is possible, the authors construct a discontinuous feedback controller which achieves robust tracking of the desired output trajectory in the face of perturbations. Finally, it is shown that their results can be applied to the control of a chain system, and some numerical results are presented to illustrate the performance of their controller     

Global finite-time stabilization of a class of uncertain nonlinear systems

This paper studies the problem of finite-time stabilization for nonlinear systems. We prove that global finite-time stabilizability of uncertain nonlinear systems that are dominated by a lower-triangular system can be achieved by Hölder continuous state feedback. The proof is based on the finite-time Lyapunov stability theorem and the nonsmooth feedback design method developed recently for the control of inherently nonlinear systems that cannot be dealt with by any smooth feedback. A recursive design algorithm is developed for the construction of a Hölder continuous, global finite-time stabilizer as well as a C¹ positive definite and proper Lyapunov function that guarantees finite-time stability.     

Simultaneous stabilization for a collection of single-input nonlinear systems

This paper presents a novel method for designing a controller that simultaneously stabilizes a collection of single-input nonlinear systems. The control Lyapunov function approach is used to derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of time-invariant simultaneously stabilizing state feedback controllers. Additionally, a universal formula for constructing a continuous simultaneously stabilizing controller when the provided sufficient condition is satisfied is presented. For any collection of second-order (and third-order) feedback linearizable systems in canonical form, global simultaneous stabilization via a single state feedback controller is shown to be always possible. Two examples are included for illustration.     

Hybrid feedback laws for a class of cascade nonlinear controlsystems

A stabilization problem for a class of nonlinear control systems is considered. Systems in this class can be viewed as a cascade connection of a linear time-invariant subsystem, a nonlinear time-periodic static subsystem, and an integrator. Hybrid logic-based feedback controllers are constructed to globally stabilize these systems to the origin. The controllers operate by switching between various time-periodic control functions at discrete-time instants. As specific applications, we consider stabilization of nonholonomic control systems in power form to the origin and stabilization of trajectories for a class of nonlinear control systems. Numerical examples of global stabilization and tracking are reported     

Global stabilization of cascade systems by C/sup 0/ partial-state feedback

This paper shows how the nonsmooth but continuous feedback design approach developed recently for global stabilization of nonlinear systems with uncontrollable unstable linearization, and the notion and properties of the input-to-state stability Lyapunov function can be effectively coupled, resulting in globally stabilizing C/sup 0/ partial-state feedback controllers for a class of cascade systems which may not be smoothly stabilizable, even locally.     

Recursive Observer Design, Homogeneous Approximation, and Nonsmooth Output Feedback Stabilization of Nonlinear Systems

We present a nonsmooth output feedback framework for local and/or global stabilization of a class of nonlinear systems that are not smoothly stabilizable nor uniformly observable. A systematic design method is presented for the construction of stabilizing, dynamic output compensators that are nonsmooth but HÖlder continuous. A new ingredient of the proposed output feedback control scheme is the introduction of a recursive observer design algorithm, making it possible to construct a reduced-order observer step-by-step, in a naturally augmented manner. Such a nonsmooth design leads to a number of new results on output feedback stabilization of nonlinear systems. One of them is the global stabilizability of a chain of odd power integrators by HÖlder continuous output feedback. The other one is the local stabilization using nonsmooth output feedback for a wide class of nonlinear systems in the Hessenberg form studied in a previous paper, where global stabilizability by nonsmooth state feedback was already proved to be possible.     

Nonsmooth output feedback stabilization of a class of genuinely nonlinear systems in the plane

In this note, we address the problem of output feedback stabilization for a class of planar systems that are inherently nonlinear in the sense that the linearized system at the origin is neither controllable nor observable. Moreover, the uncontrollable modes contain eigenvalues on the right-half plane. By the well-known necessary condition, such planar systems cannot be stabilized, even locally by any smooth output feedback, and hence must be dealt with by nonsmooth output feedback. The main contribution of this work is the development of a non-Lipschitz continuous output feedback design method that leads to a solution to the problem. The proposed output feedback control scheme is not based on the separation principle but rather, relies on the design of a reduced-order nonlinear observer from an earlier paper with an appropriate twist, and the tool of adding a power integrator. A non-Lipschitz continuous output feedback controller is explicitly constructed, achieving global stabilization of the planar systems without imposing the high-order growth conditions required in a previous paper.     

Output‐feedback stabilization for planar output‐constrained switched nonlinear systems

In this paper, globally asymptotical stabilization problem for a class of planar switched nonlinear systems with an output constraint via smooth output feedback is investigated. To prevent output constraint violation, a common tangent‐type barrier Lyapunov function (tan‐BLF) is developed. Adding a power integrator approach (APIA) is revamped to systematically design state‐feedback stabilizing control laws incorporating the common tan‐BLF. Then, based on the designed state‐feedback controllers and a constructed common nonlinear observer, smooth output‐feedback controllers, which can make the system output meet the predefined constraint during operation, are proposed to deal with the globally asymptotical stabilization problem of planar switched nonlinear systems under arbitrary switchings. A numerical example is employed to verify the proposed method.     

Backstepping design for global stabilization of switched nonlinear systems in lower triangular form under arbitrary switchings

This paper is concerned with the global stabilization problem for switched nonlinear systems in lower triangular form under arbitrary switchings. Two classes of state feedback controllers and a common Lyapunov function (CLF) are simultaneously constructed by backstepping. The first class uses the common state feedback controller which is independent of switching signals; the other class utilizes individual state feedback controllers for the subsystems. As an extension of the designed method, the global stabilization problem under arbitrary switchings for switched nonlinear systems in nested lower triangular form is also studied. An example is given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Continuous finite‐time state feedback stabilizers for some nonlinear stochastic systems

This paper is concerned with the problem of finite‐time stabilization for some nonlinear stochastic systems. Based on the stochastic Lyapunov theorem on finite‐time stability that has been established by the authors in the paper, it is proven that Euler‐type stochastic nonlinear systems can be finite‐time stabilized via a family of continuous feedback controllers. Using the technique of adding a power integrator, a continuous, global state feedback controller is constructed to stabilize in finite time a large class of two‐dimensional lower‐triangular stochastic nonlinear systems. Also, for a class of three‐dimensional lower‐triangular stochastic nonlinear systems, a recursive design scheme of finite‐time stabilization is given by developing the technique of adding a power integrator and constructing a continuous feedback controller. Finally, a simulation example is given to illustrate the theoretical results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

随机非线性时滞大系统的输出反馈分散镇定

针对具有严格反馈形式的随机非线性时滞大系统,设计了含有时滞项的随机控制Lyapunov函数,运用Backstepping技术,构造出一类输出反馈无记忆控制器.在此控制器作用下,所考虑的闭环系统实现概率意义上的时滞无关全局渐近稳定.并在无限时区优化指标函数的约束下,对控制器进行逆优再设计,以满足一定的性能要求.     

Stabilization of uncertain linear systems: an LFT approach

This paper develops machinery for control of uncertain linear systems described in terms of linear fractional transformations (LFTs) on transform variables and uncertainty blocks with primary focus on stabilization and controller parameterization. This machinery directly generalizes familiar state-space techniques. The notation of Q-stability is defined as a natural type of robust stability, and output feedback stabilizability is characterized in terms of Q-stabilizability and Q-detectability which in turn are related to full information and full control problems. Computation is in terms of convex linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), the controllers have a separation structure, and the parameterization of all stabilizing controllers is characterized as an LFT on a stable, free parameter     

Immersion‐ and invariance‐based adaptive stabilization of switched nonlinear systems

This paper presents a novel framework to asymptotically adaptively stabilize a class of switched nonlinear systems with constant linearly parameterized uncertainty. By exploiting the generalized multiple Lyapunov functions method and the recently developed immersion and invariance (I&I) technique, which does not invoke certainty equivalence, we design the error estimator, continuous state feedback controllers for subsystems, and a switching law to ensure boundedness of all closed‐loop signals and global asymptotical regulation of the states, where the solvability of the I&I adaptive stabilization problem for individual subsystems is not required. Then, along with the backstepping method, the proposed design technique is further applied to a class of switched nonlinear systems in strict‐feedback form with an unknown constant parameter so that the I&I adaptive stabilization controllers for the system is developed. Finally, simulation results are also provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design method.     

Quantized feedback stabilization of linear systems

This paper addresses feedback stabilization problems for linear time-invariant control systems with saturating quantized measurements. We propose a new control design methodology, which relies on the possibility of changing the sensitivity of the quantizer while the system evolves. The equation that describes the evolution of the sensitivity with time (discrete rather than continuous in most cases) is interconnected with the given system (either continuous or discrete), resulting in a hybrid system. When applied to systems that are stabilizable by linear time-invariant feedback, this approach yields global asymptotic stability