A new practical robust control of cable‐driven manipulators using time‐delay estimation

In this paper, a new practical robust control scheme is proposed and investigated for the cable‐driven manipulators under lumped uncertainties. There are three parts in the proposed method, ie, a time‐delay estimation (TDE) part, a modified super‐twisting algorithm (STA) part, and a fractional‐order nonsingular terminal sliding mode (FONTSM) error dynamics part. The TDE uses intentionally time‐delayed system signals to estimate the lumped dynamics of the system and ensures an attractive model‐free control structure. The STA is applied to guarantee high performance and chattering suppression simultaneously in the reaching phase. The FONTSM error dynamics is utilized to obtain fast convergence and strong robustness in the sliding mode phase. Thanks to the above three parts, the proposed control scheme is model free and can ensure high control performance under lumped uncertainties. The stability considering the FONTSM error dynamics and modified STA scheme is analyzed. Comparative simulation and experiments were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiorities of the newly proposed control scheme. Corresponding experimental results show that our newly proposed control scheme can provide more than 20% improvement of the steady control accuracy under three different reference trajectories.     

Robust FOPID controller design for fractional‐order delay systems using positive stability region analysis

In this paper, a robust fractional‐order PID (FOPID) controller design method for fractional‐order delay systems is proposed based on positive stability region (PSR) analysis. Firstly, the PSR is presented to improve the existing stability region (SR) in D‐decomposition method. Then, the optimal fractional orders λ and μ of FOPID controller are achieved at the biggest three‐dimensional PSR, which means the best robustness. Given the optimal λ and μ, the other FOPID controller parameters k_p, k_i, k_d can be solved under the control specifications, including gain crossover frequency, phase margin, and an extended flat phase constraint. In addition, the steps of the proposed robust FOPID controller design process are listed at length, and an example is given to illustrate the corresponding steps. At last, the control performances of the obtained robust FOPID controller are compared with some other controllers (PID and FOPI). The simulation results illustrate the superior robustness as well as the transient performance of the proposed control algorithm.     

Fractional order robust control for cogging effect compensation in PMSM position servo systems: Stability analysis and experiments

Fractional calculus is a generalization of the integration and differentiation to the fractional (non-integer) order. In this paper, for the first time, a fractional order robust control (FO-RC) method is devised for cogging effect compensation on permanent magnetic synchronous motors (PMSM) position and velocity servo system. In this FO-RC scheme, a fractional order robust controller is designed to compensate the cogging effect, and guarantee the boundedness of all signals. Stability properties have been proven for the systems with the traditional integer order robust control method and the proposed fractional order robust control scheme, respectively. Simulation illustration and experimental validation are presented to show the advantage of the proposed FO-RC scheme for cogging effect compensation over the conventional integer order method.     

一种改进的分数时延估计方法及应用

传统的分数时延估计算法对环境噪声和混响噪声比较敏感,在复杂的实际环境中,算法性能会严重下降。为进一步提高时延估计算法性能,提出一种基于广义互相关（Generalized cross correlation,GCC)改进算法的广义互相关 最大似然相位补偿（ GCC Maximum likelihood phase compensation,GCC MLP)分数延时估计算法。该算法改进了GCC频域加权函数,并将线性相位补偿应用于频域互相关谱,获得连续的分数时延估计值,进一步提高了分数时延估计的精确性。仿真结果表明,GCC MLP相位补偿分数时延估计算法增强了对环境噪声和混响噪声的鲁棒性,减小了时延估计误差,算法性能优于曲线拟合、Sinc插值等传统分数时延估计算法。     

时变分数时滞系统最优预报自校正极点配置PID控制算法*

本文在广义模型描述被控过程的基础上,利用广义预测理论克服时滞,增强控制系统的鲁棒性,提出一种最优预报自校正极点配置PID控制新算法,仿真结果表明这种控制策略对具有未知或时变分数时滞系统是很有效的。     

Practical adaptive fractional‐order nonsingular terminal sliding mode control for a cable‐driven manipulator

For the high precise tracking control purpose of a cable‐driven manipulator under lumped uncertainties, a novel adaptive fractional‐order nonsingular terminal sliding mode control scheme based on time delay estimation (TDE) is proposed and investigated in this paper. The proposed control scheme mainly has three elements, ie, a TDE element applied to properly compensate the lumped unknown dynamics of the system resulting in a fascinating model‐free feature; a fractional‐order nonsingular terminal sliding mode (FONTSM) surface element used to ensure high precision in the steady phase; and a combined reaching law with adaptive technique adopted to obtain fast convergence and high precision and chatter reduction under complex lumped disturbance. Stability of the closed‐loop control system is analyzed with the Lyapunov stability theory. Comparative simulations and experiments were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed control scheme using 2‐DOF (degree of freedom) of a cable‐driven manipulator named Polaris‐I. Corresponding results show that our proposed method can ensure faster convergence, higher precision, and better robustness against complex lumped disturbance than the existing TDE‐based FONTSM and continuous FONTSM control schemes.     

Robust controller design for input‐delayed systems using predictive feedback and an uncertainty estimator

This paper deals with the problem of stabilizing a class of input‐delayed systems with (possibly) nonlinear uncertainties by using explicit delay compensation. It is well known that plain predictive schemes lack robustness with respect to uncertain model parameters. In this work, an uncertainty estimator is derived for input‐delay systems and combined with a modified state predictor, which uses current available information of the estimated uncertainties. Furthermore, based on Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals, a computable criterion to check robust stability of the closed‐loop is developed and cast into a minimization problem constrained to an LMI. Additionally, for a given input delay, an iterative‐LMI algorithm is proposed to design stabilizing tuning parameters. The main results are illustrated and validated using a numerical example with a second‐order dynamic system. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Consensus Control of Fractional‐Order Systems Based on Delayed State Fractional Order Derivative

In this paper, the delayed state fractional order derivative (DSFOD) is introduced into the existing traditional consensus protocol aiming to improve the robustness of fractional‐order multi‐agent systems against communication time delay. Both of communication channels with time‐delay and without time‐delay cases are considered. Based on the frequency‐domain analysis and algebraic graph theory, it is shown that properly choosing the intensity of DSFOD can improve the robustness of fractional‐order multi‐agent systems against communication delay. Finally, a simulated example with simulations is presented to confirm the correctness and effectiveness of the theoretical results.     

Modified Smith predictor with a robust disturbance reduction scheme for linear systems with small time delays

This paper presents a robust disturbance reduction scheme using an artificial neural network (ANN) for linear systems with small time delays. It is assumed that the nominal linear systems are stable, minimum phase and relative degree one systems. The proposed structure is an integration of a modified Smith predictor and an ANN‐based disturbance reduction scheme. Unlike other disturbance rejection methods, the proposed approach does not require information about unknown load disturbance frequencies. An ANN is used to approximate the unknown load disturbances and to enhance the robustness of the proposed disturbance reduction scheme against modelling errors in the estimated time delay and the process model. Connective weights of the ANN are trained on‐line using a back‐propagation algorithm until uncertainties resulting from unknown load disturbances and modelling errors are minimized. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the presented disturbance reduction scheme for controlling linear delay systems subjected to step or periodic unknown load disturbances.     

Time‐varying input delay compensation for nonlinear systems with additive disturbance: An output feedback approach

This paper addresses the output feedback tracking control of a class of multiple‐input and multiple‐output nonlinear systems subject to time‐varying input delay and additive bounded disturbances. Based on the backstepping design approach, an output feedback robust controller is proposed by integrating an extended state observer and a novel robust controller, which uses a desired trajectory‐based feedforward term to achieve an improved model compensation and a robust delay compensation feedback term based on the finite integral of the past control values to compensate for the time‐varying input delay. The extended state observer can simultaneously estimate the unmeasurable system states and the additive disturbances only with the output measurement and delayed control input. The proposed controller theoretically guarantees prescribed transient performance and steady‐state tracking accuracy in spite of the presence of time‐varying input delay and additive bounded disturbances based on Lyapunov stability analysis by using a Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional. A specific study on a 2‐link robot manipulator is performed; based on the system model and the proposed design procedure, a suitable controller is developed, and comparative simulation results are obtained to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed control scheme.     

Dynamic anti‐windup compensator for fractional‐order system with time‐delay

This paper describes the results of introducing an additional dynamic element to an anti‐windup compensator from control quality and stability area anslysis viewpoint. The analyzed system consists of a first‐order plant with time delay and a fractional‐order PI controller, to present the discussed approach. The controller is tuned based on Hermite‐Biehler and Pontryagin theorems. In the paper, the stability analysis and tracking performance are presented based on both simulation and experimental results. The experiments have been performed using Inteco Modular Servo System with performance evaluated on the basis of the selected performance criterion, namely the Integral of Absolute Error, to verify the applicability of the proposed method. The results have proven that use of the additional dynamic element provides a wider range of controller parameters to ensure stability of the closed‐loop system and better tracking performance in comparison to the system without anti‐windup compensation or system with a standard anti‐windup compensator. It is actually the first time that this type of analysis for dynamic element compensation in anti‐windup framework has been presented for fractional‐order systems. In addition, all the obtained results are referred to the experimental data.     

Fractional robust control of main irrigation canals with variable dynamic parameters

A new method is proposed for controlling main irrigation canals with variable dynamical parameters based on robust fractional order controllers. A methodology for designing PID controllers robust to changes in the time delay and the gain is presented first. Then this method is generalized to design fractional controllers that exhibit the same robustness as the previous PID to time delay and gain changes, but are noticeably more robust to variations in the dominant time constant of the process. This method is applied to control main irrigation canals. Extensive numerical simulations using the dynamic model of a real canal were carried out. Then experimental results were obtained in a prototype canal that proved the effectiveness of the proposed control method in terms of performance and robustness.     

DECENTRALIZED STABILIZATION OF H FUZZY CONTROL FOR NONLINEAR MULTIPLE TIME‐DELAY INTERCONNECTED SYSTEMS

A robustness design of fuzzy control is proposed in this paper to overcome the effect of modeling errors between nonlinear multiple time‐delay systems and fuzzy models. In terms of Lyapunov's direct method, a stability criterion is derived to guarantee the UUB (uniformly ultimately bounded) stability of nonlinear multiple time‐delay interconnected systems with disturbances. Based on this criterion and the decentralized control scheme, a set of fuzzy controllers is then synthesized via the technique of parallel distributed compensation (PDC) to stabilize the nonlinear multiple time‐delay interconnected systems and the Hcontrol performance is achieved in the mean time.     

Maximum sensitivity based fractional IMC–PID controller design for non-integer order system with time delay

A simple approach with a small number of tuning parameters is a key goal in fractional order controller design. Recently there have been a number of limited attempts to bring about improvements in these areas. In this paper, a new design method for a fractional order PID controller based on internal model control (IMC) is proposed to handle non-integer order systems with time delay. In order to reduce the number of tuning parameters and mitigate the impact of time delay, the fractional order internal model control scheme is used. Considering the robustness of the control system with respect to process variations and model uncertainty, maximum sensitivity is applied to the tuning of the parameters. The resulting controller has the structure of a fractional order PID which is cascaded with a filter. This is named a fractional IMC–PID controller. Numerical results are given to show the efficiency of the proposed controller.     

Frequency domain subspace identification of commensurate fractional order input time delay systems

A frequency domain subspace identification of fractional order systems with input timedelay is studied in this paper. A new identification method, which combines the merits of differential evolution (DE) algorithm and subspace identification algorithm in frequency domain, is presented. For the optimal search of fractional commensurate differential order and time delay parameters, the DE algorithm is applied. For fixed fractional commensurate differential order and time delay, subspace method is performed to obtain the state space model. Simulation results validate the proposed fractional order system identification method.     

Multirate sliding mode disturbance compensation for model predictive control

In this paper, a novel hierarchical multirate control scheme for nonlinear discrete‐time systems is presented, consisting of a robust nonlinear model predictive controller (NMPC) and a multirate sliding mode disturbance compensator (MSMDC). The proposed MSMDC acts at a faster rate than the NMPC in order to keep the system as close as possible to the nominal trajectory predicted by NMPC despite model uncertainties and external disturbances. The a priori disturbance compensation turns out to be very useful in order to improve the robustness of the NMPC controller. A dynamic input allocation between MSMDC and NMPC allows to maximize the benefits of the proposed scheme that unites the advantages of sliding mode control (strong reduction of matched disturbances, low computational burden) to those of NMPC (optimality, constraints handling). Sufficient conditions required to guarantee input‐to‐state stability and constraints satisfaction by the overall scheme are also provided. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stabilization of Fractional‐Order Linear Systems with State and Input Delay

This paper describes a variable structure control for fractional‐order systems with delay in both the input and state variables. The proposed method includes a fractional‐order state predictor to eliminate the input delay. The resulting state‐delay system is controlled through a sliding mode approach where the controller uses a sliding surface defined by fractional order integral. Then, the proposed control law ensures that the state trajectories reach the sliding surface in finite time. Based on recent results of Lyapunov stability theory for fractional‐order systems, the stability of the closed loop is studied. Finally, an illustrative example is given to show the interest of the proposed approach.     

Sliding mode variable structure control for visual servoing system

A visual servoing tracking controller is proposed based on the sliding mode control theory in order to achieve strong robustness against parameter variations and external disturbances. A sliding plane with time delay compensation is presented by the pre-estimate of states. To reduce the chattering of the sliding mode controller, a modified exponential reaching law and hyperbolic tangent function are applied to the design of visual controller and robot joint controller. Simulation results show that the visual servoing control scheme is robust and has good tracking performance.     

Optimal fractional order PIλDμ controller for stabilization of cart‐inverted pendulum system: Experimental results

The cart‐inverted pendulum is a non‐minimum phase system having right half s‐plane pole and zero in close vicinity to each other. Linear time invariant (LTI) classical controllers cannot achieve satisfactory loop robustness for such systems. Therefore, in the present work the fractional order PI^λD^μ (FOPID) controller is addressed for robust stabilization of the system, since fractional order controller design allows more degrees of freedom compared to its integer order counterparts by virtue of its two parameters λ and μ. The controller parameters are tuned by three evolutionary optimization techniques. In order to select the controller parameters optimally, a novel non‐linear fitness function using integral time square error (ITSE), settling‐time, and rise time is proposed here. The control algorithm is implemented successfully in real‐time. Moreover, stability analysis of the system compensated with a fractional order controller is presented using Riemann surface. Robustness of the physical cart‐inverted pendulum system towards multiplicative gain variations and plant parameter variations is verified. In this regard, it is shown that the fractional order controller provides satisfactory robust performance in both simulation and real‐time system.     

Input‐to‐state stability of min‐max MPC scheme for nonlinear time‐varying delay systems

This paper studies the robustness problem of the min–max model predictive control (MPC) scheme for constrained nonlinear time‐varying delay systems subject to bounded disturbances. The notion of the input‐to‐state stability (ISS) of nonlinear time‐delay systems is introduced. Then by using the Lyapunov–Krasovskii method, a delay‐dependent sufficient condition is derived to guarantee input‐to‐state practical stability (ISpS) of the closed‐loop system by way of nonlinear matrix inequalities (NLMI). In order to lessen the online computational demand, the non‐convex min‐max optimization problem is then converted to a minimization problem with linear matrix inequality (LMI) constraints and a suboptimal MPC algorithm is provided. Finally, an example of a truck‐trailer is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed results. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society