Adaptive fixed-time prescribed performance control of vehicular platoons with unknown dead-zone and actuator saturation

This article focuses on the problem of fixed-time prescribed performance platoon control for heterogeneous vehicles with unknown dead-zone and actuator saturation. First, an equivalent transformation is developed to approximate the actuator nonlinearity (i.e., dead-zone and saturation), which reduces the complexity of controller design. Then, to guarantee the tracking errors converge to the predetermined region in the given time, a modified prescribed performance function is presented. Based on this, a novel adaptive sliding mode control scheme is developed in the context of fixed-time theory, which is proved to be capable of ensuring individual vehicle stability and string stability in fixed time. In addition, under the proposed control scheme, the convergence time is independent of initial conditions of the system. Finally, numerical simulations are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.     

Extended state observer-based finite-region control for 2-D Markov jump systems

In this article, an extended state observer-based finite-region control scheme is presented for two-dimensional Markov jump systems with unknown mismatched disturbances. The mathematical model of the two-dimensional Markov jump systems is built on the well-known Roesser model. By establishing special recursive formulas and utilizing the 2-D Lyapunov function theory, sufficient conditions are obtained, which prove that the resultant system is finite-region bounded, if some linear matrix inequalities are achieved. Then, we provide an algorithm to solve the extended state observer-based controller gains. With the proposed control scheme, the external disturbances can be actively rejected from the system outputs. To conclude, a numerical example based on the Darboux equation is provided to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the devised control scheme.     

Event-triggered-based integral reinforcement learning output feedback optimal control for partially unknown constrained-input nonlinear systems

In this paper, an adaptive output feedback event-triggered optimal control algorithm is proposed for partially unknown constrained-input continuous-time nonlinear systems. First, a neural network observer is constructed to estimate unmeasurable state. Next, an event-triggered condition is established, and only when the event-triggered condition is violated will the event be triggered and the state be sampled. Then, an event-triggered-based synchronous integral reinforcement learning (ET-SIRL) control algorithm with critic-actor neural networks (NNs) architecture is proposed to solve the event-triggered Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation under the established event-triggered condition. The critic and actor NNs are used to approximate cost function and optimal event-triggered optimal control law, respectively. Meanwhile, the event-triggered-based closed-loop system state and all the neural network weight estimation errors are uniformly ultimately bounded proved by Lyapunov stability theory, and there is no Zeno behavior. Finally, two numerical examples are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed ET-SIRL control algorithm.     

Obstacle avoidance tracking control with antiswing and tracking errors constraint for underactuated automated lifting robots with load hoisting/lowering

The existing automated lifting robot technology focuses merely on motion control and ignores the surrounding environment. In practice, obstacles inevitably exist in the movement path of the automated lifting robot, which affects construction safety. Furthermore, due to the underactuated characteristics of the automated lifting robot, the load can be difficult to control when it swings violently, which undoubtedly poses huge challenges to obstacle avoidance trajectory planning and controller design. In this paper, an obstacle avoidance trajectory and its tracking controller with antiswing and tracking errors constraint are proposed. To ensure accurate load positioning and effective obstacle avoidance, the proposed control method introduces a four-segment polynomial trajectory interpolation curve to construct an obstacle avoidance trajectory based on analyzing the geometric relationship between variables. To improve the transient coupling control performance of the system, combined with the passive analysis of the automated lifting robot system, this method constructs a potential function that limits the tracking error and a coupling signal that enhances the coupling relationship between the system variables. Barbalat's lemma and Lyapunov techniques are used to analyze the stability of the system. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed control method can significantly suppress or even eliminate load oscillation, accurately locate the load, avoid obstacles, improve the safety and efficiency of the working automated lifting robot, and have strong robustness to changes in system parameters and the addition of external disturbances.     

有色量测噪声下带广义未知扰动的递推上限滤波

针对博弈对抗环境下利用快速采样雷达进行非合作目标跟踪带来的有色噪声和未知干扰共存问题, 本文提出有色量测噪声下带广义未知扰动的随机动态系统递推上限滤波. 这里, 有色量测噪声用于描述由于快速采样或持续干扰带来的噪声相关性, 广义未知扰动用于建模博弈对抗对雷达观测带来的异常影响(先验信息缺失). 针对所考虑系统, 通过参数优化实现状态估计误差协方差上限(而不是理论值)的在线递推, 提出有色噪声下上限滤波(CU-BF), 给出状态估计误差协方差最小上限的近似实现, 讨论了所提CUBF的存在性条件. 在具有时变未知扰动和有色量测噪声的目标跟踪仿真中验证了所提方法的有效性.     

不确定噪声下基于轴对称盒空间滤波的非线性系统状态估计

针对不确定噪声下的非线性系统状态估计问题, 本文提出了一种基于轴对称盒空间滤波的状态估计方法. 首先, 利用轴对称盒空间包裹线性化过程带来的误差项, 将状态函数线性化误差轴对称盒空间与噪声轴对称盒空间求取闵可夫斯基和, 得到干扰误差轴对称盒空间; 随后, 利用状态量、线性误差和测量噪声的轴对称盒空间的闵可夫斯基和, 得到系统状态预测集; 进而, 利用轴对称盒空间边界正交的性质, 将盒空间拆分为多组超平面, 构造测量更新的约束条件并得到集员包裹. 本文所提方法相比传统的椭球滤波方法而言, 降低了算法的复杂度, 减少了包裹状态可行集和线性化过程带来的余, 获得了更加紧致精确的系统状态集. 最后, 采用非线性弹簧–质量–阻尼器系统验证了本文所提算法的有效性.     

Adaptive fault-tolerant control of switched nonlinear systems based on tuning function method

This paper solves the problem of adaptive fault-tolerant control of uncertain switched nonlinear systems with unknown parameters and actuator failures. Based on the multi-Lyapunov function method, a novel adaptive switched controller with tuning function is designed using the backstepping procedure. Meanwhile, a switched fault-tolerant adaptation mechanism is also given to compensate the fault efficiency. Furthermore, it is certificated that all the signals of the closed-loop system are uniformly bounded and the tracking error restrain to a small neighbor. Finally, the simulation results verify the feasibility of the proposed method.     

Utility of 18 F‐FDG PET/CT scan to diagnose the etiology of fever of unknown origin in patients on dialysis

Introduction: Studies on fever of unknown origin (FUO) in patients of chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease patients on dialysis were not many. In this study, we used 18 F‐FDG PET/CT scan whole body survey for detection of hidden infection, in patients on dialysis, labelled as FUO. Methods: In this retrospective study, 20 patients of end stage renal disease on dialysis were investigated for the cause of FUO using 18F‐FDG PET/CT scan. All these patients satisfied the definition of FUO as defined by Petersdorf and Beeson. Any focal abnormal site of increased FDG concentration detected by PET/CT, either a solitary or multiple lesions was documented and at least one of the detected abnormal sites of radio tracer concentration was further examined for histopathology. Findings: All patients were on renal replacement therapy. Of these, 18 were on hemodialysis and two were on peritoneal dialysis. 18F‐FDG PET/CT scan showed metabolically active lesions in 15 patients and metabolically quiescent in five patients. After 18F‐FDG PET/CT scan all, but one patient had a change in treatment for fever. Anti‐tuberculous treatment was given in 15 patients, antibiotics in four patients and anti‐malaria treatment in one patient. Discussion: The present study is first study of 18F‐FDG PET/CT scan in patients of end stage renal disease on dialysis with FUO. The study showed that the 18 F FDG PET/CT scan may present an opportunity to attain the diagnosis in end stage renal disease patients on dialysis with FUO.     

Monitoring the Coefficient of Variation Using the Side Sensitive Group Runs Chart

Many quality characteristics have means and standard deviations that are not independent. Instead, the standard deviations of these quality characteristics are proportional to their corresponding means. Thus, monitoring the coefficient of variation (CV), for these quality characteristics, using a control chart has gained remarkable attention in recent years. This paper presents a side sensitive group runs chart for the CV (called the SSGR CV chart). The implementation and optimization procedures of the proposed chart are presented. Two optimization procedures are developed, i.e. (i) by minimizing the average run length (ARL) when the shift size is deterministic and (ii) by minimizing the expected average run length (EARL) when the shift size is unknown. An application of the SSGR CV chart using a real dataset is also demonstrated. Additionally, the SSGR CV chart is compared with the Shewhart CV, runs rules CV, synthetic CV and exponentially weighted moving average CV charts by means of ARLs and standard deviation of the run lengths. The performance comparison is also conducted using EARLs when the shift size is unknown. In general, the SSGR CV chart surpasses the other charts under comparison, for most upward and downward CV shifts. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.