Observability and Controllability Analysis for Micro‐Positioning Stage Described by Sandwich Model with Hysteresis

In this paper, an approach for analyzing the observability and controllability of micro‐positioning stage with piezoelectric actuator described by sandwich model with hysteresis is proposed. As hysteresis inherent in piezoelectric actuator is a non‐smooth nonlinear function with multi‐valued mapping, the positioning system is also a non‐smooth dynamic system. The Prandtl‐Ishlinksii (PI) submodel is employed to describe the characteristic of hysteresis embedded in the sandwich system. A linearization method based on non‐smooth optimization is proposed to derive a generalized linearized state‐space function to approximate the non‐smooth sandwich systems within a bounded region around the equilibrium points the system works at. Then, both observability and controllability matrices are constructed and the methods to analyze the observability as well as the controllability of sandwich system with hysteresis are derived. Finally, a simulation example and an application of the proposed method to a micro‐positioning stage with piezoactuator are presented to validate the proposed method.     

Analysis of the energy‐based swing‐up control of the Acrobot

This paper addresses the energy‐based swing‐up control problem for the Acrobot, a two‐link underactuated robot with a single actuator at the joint of the two links. In line with the energy‐based control approach, this paper presents a necessary and sufficient condition for non‐existence of any singular point in the derived control law, and provides a complete analysis of the convergence of the energy and the motion of the Acrobot. Specifically, for any initial state of the Acrobot, this paper shows clearly how to choose control parameters such that the Acrobot will eventually either be swung up to any arbitrarily small neighbourhood of the upright equilibrium point, or remain in a set containing a finite number of equilibrium points. Moreover, this paper shows that these equilibrium points are unstable. Furthermore, imposing a stronger condition on a control parameter yields that the equilibrium set contains only the downward equilibrium point, which is shown to be hyperbolic and unstable. This proves that the Acrobot will eventually enter the basin of attraction of any stabilizing controller for all initial conditions with the exception of a set of Lebesgue measure zero. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Swing-Up Control for a 3-DOF Gymnastic Robot With Passive First Joint: Design and Analysis

This paper concerns a swing-up control problem for a three-link gymnastic planar robot in a vertical plane with its first joint being passive (unactuated) and the rest being active (actuated). The objectives of this paper are to: (1) design a controller under which the robot can be brought into any arbitrarily small neighborhood of the upright equilibrium point, where all three links of the robot remain in their upright positions; and (2) attain a global analysis of the motion of the robot under the controller. To tailor the energy-based control approach to achieve the aforementioned objectives, first, this paper considers the links 2 and 3 as a virtually composite link, and proposes a coordinate transformation of the angles of active joints. Second, this paper constructs a novel Lyapunov function based on the transformation, and devises an energy-based swing-up controller. Third, this paper carries out a global analysis of the motion of the robot under the controller, and establishes some conditions on control parameters for achieving the swing-up control objective. To validate the theoretical results obtained, this paper provides simulation results for a three-link robot with its mechanical parameters being obtained from a human gymnast.     

Observability and controllability analysis for sandwich systems with dead-zone

In this paper, an approach to analyze the observability and controllability of sandwich systems with dead-zone is proposed. In this method, a non-smooth state-space function is proposed to describe the sandwich systems with dead-zone which are also non-smooth nonlinear systems. Then, a linearization method based on non-smooth optimization is proposed to derive a linearized state-space function to approximate the non-smooth sandwich systems within a bounded region around the equilibrium points that we are interested in. Afterwards, both observability and controllability matrices are constructed and the methods to analyze the observability as well as controllability of sandwich system with dead-zone are derived. Finally, a numerical example is presented.     

Controllability and Observability of Parallel Magnetic Suspension Systems

The controllability and observability of parallel magnetic suspension systems are investigated analytically. A parallel magnetic suspension system has multiple floators and electromagnets driven by a single amplifier. In this paper, the multiplicity is set to an arbitrary counting number n. Parallel systems are classified into four types based on the output of the power amplifier and the connection of the coils. This paper treats three of them: current‐controlled with series‐connected coils; voltage‐controlled with series‐connected coils; and voltage‐controlled with parallel‐connected coils. The conditions of controllability and observability of each system are clarified. The feasibility of parallel magnetic suspension is demonstrated by simulations and experiments.     

Analysis of the energy‐based swing‐up control for the double pendulum on a cart

Designing and analyzing controllers for mechanical systems with underactuation degree (difference between the number of degrees of freedom and that of inputs) greater than one is a challenging problem. In this paper, for the double pendulum on a cart, which has three degrees of freedom and only one control input, we study an unsolved problem of analyzing the energy‐based swing‐up control which aims at controlling the total mechanical energy of the cart‐double‐pendulum system, the velocity and displacement of the cart. Under the energy‐based controller, we show that for all initial states of the cart‐double‐pendulum system, the velocity and displacement of the cart converge to their desired values. Then, by using a property of the mechanical parameters of the double pendulum, we show that if the convergent value of the total mechanical energy is not equal to the potential energy at the up–up equilibrium point, where two links are in the upright position, then the system remains at the up–down, down–up, and down–down equilibrium points, where two links are in the upright–down, down–upright, and down–down positions, respectively. Moreover, we show that each of these three equilibrium points is strictly unstable in the closed‐loop system by showing that the Jacobian matrix valued at each equilibrium point has at least one eigenvalue in the open right half plane. This shows that for all initial states with the exception of a set of Lebesgue measure zero, the total mechanical energy converges to the potential energy at the up–up equilibrium point. This paper provides insight into the energy‐based control approach to mechanical systems with underactuation degree greater than one. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The h‐Difference Approach to Controllability and Observability of Fractional Linear Systems with Caputo–Type Operator

In the paper a class of h‐difference linear control systems with n fractional orders is studied. The Caputo‐type h‐difference operator is used. The formula of the solution to the stated initial value problem of the given system is proved. The problems of controllability and observability in a finite number of steps of h‐difference linear control systems with n fractional orders are studied.     

Controllability and observability for time‐varying switched impulsive controlled systems

This paper is concerned with the controllability and observability for linear time‐varying switched impulsive systems. First, some new results about the variation of parameters for time‐varying switched impulsive systems are derived. Then less conservative sufficient conditions and necessary conditions for state controllability and observability of such systems are established. And for such system without impulsive control input, sufficient and necessary conditions for controllability and observability are derived. Furthermore, corresponding criteria applied to time‐varying impulsive systems are also discussed and examples are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed results. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Controllability and observability of 2D thermal flow in bulk storage facilities using sensitivity fields

To control and observe spatially distributed thermal flow systems, the controllable field and observable field around the actuator and sensor are of interest, respectively. For spatially distributed systems, the classical systems theoretical concepts of controllability and observability are, in general, difficult to apply. In this study, sensitivity fields were used to analyse the behaviour from input to state and from initial state to output. For the analysis of controllability and observability, a large-scale, bulk storage facility with coupled thermal flow of air and agro-products was used. Analysis of this system using the classical systems theory results in controllability and observability results that are dependent on the step size of the spatially discretised system. Due to matrix multiplications, inaccurate results are calculated if the step size is too small. Our findings indicate that input-state and initial-state output sensitivity fields provide sufficient information about the controllability and observability of large coupled spatially distributed systems, using finite-dimensional state space representation with small discretisation steps.     

Optimal control of manipulators with any number of passive joints

This article discusses the problem of controlling robot manipulators with passive joints, when the number of passive joints is larger than the number of active joints. Assuming that brakes and position sensors are available at each passive joint, we investigate the following issues: (1) what is a sufficient condition for controllability of the passive joints via dynamic coupling with the active joints and how can we quantify the controllability at a given configuration; (2) what is the optimal control and locking sequence of the passive joints; and (3) how can we control both passive and active joints to an equilibrium point in joint space. We propose an optimal control method and demonstrate its validity with both simulation and experimental results. The work presented here is significant because it provides a better understanding and a guideline for utilizing manipulators with passive joints for energy efficiency and fault-tolerant design in applications such as space robotics, hyperredundant robots, and sport mechanics. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 15: 115–129, 1998     

The robustness of controllability and observability of linear time-varying systems

Fixed point methods from nonlinear analysis are used to establish conditions under which the uniform complete controllability, of linear time-varying systems is preserved under nonlinear perturbations in the state dynamics and the zero-input uniform complete observability of linear time-varying systems is preserved under nonlinear perturbation in the state dynamics and output read-out map. Robustness of partial controllability., observability, and a specific kind of nonzero input observability are also proven.     

Local observability and controllability of nonlinear discrete-time fractional order systems based on their linearisation

The concepts of local controllability and observability of nonlinear discrete-time systems with the Caputo-, Riemann–Liouville- and Grünwald–Letnikov-type h-difference fractional order operators are studied. The Implicit Function Theorem is used in order to show that the nonlinear systems are locally observable or controllable in a finite number of steps if their linear approximations are observable or controllable, respectively, in the same number of steps.     

An observer-based set-point controller for robot manipulators with flexible joints

We present a globally asymptotically stable controller for point-to-point regulation of robot manipulators with flexible joints that uses only position measurement on the motor side. Existing asymptotically stable schemes for the set point regulation problem without velocity measurement address only the rigid robot case. Furthermore, these solutions ensure only local stability provided some bounds on the dynamic part of the robot model are known. Also, they require the injection of high gains into the loop to enlarge the equilibrium domain of attraction. In contrast, our solution is global, applies for robots with flexible joints and assumes only that the gravity forces are known. The underlying rationale of the design is to ‘shape’ the potential energy of the closed loop system so that it has an absolute minimum at the desired equilibrium, and add the required dampingto achieve asymptotic stability. This is attained by adding a (linear) observer that converges to the position required to compensate the gravity forces and injects the damping, and a ‘spring-like’ effect between the observer and the robot that ‘pulls’ the robot to the desired target. This approach to observer-based controller design differs from the classical certainly equivalent approach and effectively exploits the dynamic properties of the physical system.     

用多元有理函数矩阵研究系统的结构性质

本文着重介绍了各种结构化矩阵，经比较，说明多元有理函数矩阵（ＲＦＭ）能起初地描述线性物理系统，通过对多元有理函数域Ｆ（ｚ）上的能控制能观性的讨论，说明ＲＦＭ是研究与系统结构相关性质的有力工具，也说明了研究Ｆ（ｚ）上能控制观性的必要性。     

Supervisory control of timed discrete event systems under partial observation based on activity models and eligible time bounds

To avoid the state–space explosion by including tick events in timed discrete event systems (DESs) under partial observation, a notion of eligible time bounds is introduced and based on the notion, controllability and observability conditions of languages are presented. In particular, this paper shows that these controllability and observability conditions are necessary and sufficient for the existence of a supervisor to achieve the given language specification.     

Controllability and observability of state‐dependent switched Boolean control networks with input constraints

This paper investigates the controllability and observability of state‐dependent switched Boolean control networks (SDSBCNs) with input constraints. First, the algebraic form of SDSBCNs is derived via the semi‐tensor product of matrices. Then constrained model‐input‐state (CMIS) matrices are introduced for SDSBCNs with input constraints. On the basis of CMIS matrices, two necessary and sufficient conditions are provided for the controllability and observability. Finally, two examples are given to show the effectiveness of the main results.     

Controllability and local accessibility - a normal form approach

Given a system with an uncontrollable linearization at the origin, we study the controllability of the system at equilibria around the origin. If the uncontrollable mode is nonzero, we prove that the system always has other equilibria around the origin. We also prove that these equilibria are linearly controllable provided a coefficient in the normal form is nonzero. Thus, the system is qualitatively changed from being linearly uncontrollable to linearly controllable when the equilibrium point is moved from the origin to a different one. This is called a bifurcation of controllability. As an application of the bifurcation, systems with a positive uncontrollable mode can be stabilized at a nearby equilibrium point. In the last part of this paper, simple sufficient conditions are proved for local accessibility of systems with an uncontrollable mode. Necessary conditions of controllability and local accessibility are also proved for systems with a convergent normal form.     

Distributed fuzzy discrete event system for robotic sensory information processing

Abstract: This paper presents a novel intelligent sensory information processing technique using a fuzzy discrete event system (FDES) for robotic control. The proposed method combines the predictive control approach of a discrete event system with the approximate reasoning aspect of fuzzy logic. It develops a supervisory control strategy for behavior-based robotic control using distributed FDES. The application of distributed FDES eliminates the formation of complex fuzzy predicates and a large fuzzy rule-base. The FDES-based approach also provides means for analyzing behavior-based decision-making using the observability and controllability of an FDES. The observability of an FDES describes uncertainties in sensory data, and the controllability of an FDES exploits uncertain state transitions in a dynamic environment. Comprehensive experiments on behavior-based mobile robot navigation are presented to authenticate the performance of the proposed methodology.     

Observability of Depth Estimation for a Hand‐Eye Robot System

This paper deals with the depth observability problem of a hand‐eye robot system. In contrast to earlier works, this paper presents a complete study of this observability problem. The velocity of the active camera in the hand‐eye robot system is considered as the input. The observability of depth estimation is then related to the velocity of the camera. A necessary and sufficient condition for the types of camera velocities necessary to ensure observability is found. This compensates for the results of earlier works, in which the velocity of camera was estimated. The theory is also verified by both simulations and experiments in this paper. Furthermore, a modified LQ visual servo control law is proposed to vary the weighting matrices so that depth estimation is improved while the level of control performance is still retained.