Moving formation convergence of a group of mobile robots via decentralised information feedback

In this article, a decentralised information feedback mechanism is introduced to a group of mobile robots such that the robots asymptotically converge to a given moving formation. It is assumed that the robots can exchange only position information according to a pre-specified communication graph. Each node represents a robot. Two robots are neighbours of each other if there is an edge between the two nodes. A feedback controller is performed for each robot by only using its own velocity information and the position information from its neighbours. It is proven that if the graph is connected, then the convergence to the moving formation of the closed-loop system is guaranteed. Several numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the results.     

Cascade fuzzy variable structure control of induction motor based on the approach of fuzzy modelling of Ben-Ghalia

In this article, a control design concept using fuzzy sets for an induction motor is presented. The aim of the proposed modelling approach is to provide a fuzzy set-based representation of the cascade sliding mode control of an induction motor fed by PWM voltage source inverter, which operates in a fixed reference frame. For this purpose, a new decoupled and reduced model is first proposed. Then, a set of simple surfaces and associated control laws are synthesised. A piecewise smooth control function with a threshold is adopted. However, the magnitude of this function depends closely on the upper bound of uncertainties, which include parameter variations and external disturbances. This bound is difficult to obtain prior to motor operation. To solve this problem, a fuzzy modelling approach is presented to improve the design and tuning of a fuzzy logic controller using variable structure control theory. The robust fuzzy control design is made feasible without resorting to model simplification or imposing restrictive conditions on the system uncertainty. The fuzzy controller is designed in order to improve the control performances and to reduce the control energy and the chattering phenomenon. Simulation results reveal some very interesting features and show that the proposed fuzzy sliding mode controller could be considered as an alternative to the conventional sliding mode control of induction motors.     

Output feedback stabilization control design for Boolean control networks

This paper investigates the output feedback stabilization of Boolean control networks (BCNs) by using the semi-tensor product method and presents a number of new results. First, based on the algebraic expression of BCNs, a necessary and sufficient condition is presented for the existence of output feedback stabilizers. Second, a constructive procedure is proposed to design output feedback stabilization controllers for BCNs. The study of an illustrative example shows that the new results obtained in this paper are very effective in designing output feedback stabilizers for BCNs.     

Output feedback control of large-scale nonlinear time-delay systems in lower triangular form

This paper is concerned with the stabilization problem for a class of large-scale nonlinear time-delay systems in lower triangular form. The uncertain nonlinearities are assumed to be bounded by continuous functions of the outputs or delayed outputs multiplied by unmeasured states or delayed states. An observer based output feedback control scheme is proposed using the dynamic gain control design approach. Based on Lyapunov stability theory, global asymptotic stability of the closed-loop control system is proved. Contrary to many existing control designs for lower triangular nonlinear systems, the celebrated backstepping method is not utilized here. An example is finally given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design procedure.     

Robust decentralized actuator fault detection and estimation for large-scale systems using a sliding mode observer

In this paper, robust decentralized actuator fault detection and estimation is considered for a class of non-linear large-scale systems. A sliding mode observer is proposed together with an appropriate coordinate transformation to find the sliding mode dynamics. Then, based on the features of the observer, a decentralized fault estimation strategy is proposed using an equivalent output error injection, and a decentralized reconstruction scheme follows by further exploiting the structure of the uncertainty which is allowed to have non-linear bounds. The estimation and reconstruction signals only depend on the available measured information and thus the proposed strategy can work on-line. The theoretical results which have been obtained are applied to an automated highway system. Simulation shows the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme.     

Strict feedforward control systems,linearisability, and convergent normal forms

This article discusses the feedback equivalence of multi-inputs feedforward control systems via smooth (resp. analytic) feedback transformations. We first address the state (resp. feedback) linearisation problem, and provide easily computable algorithms that yield explicit state (resp. feedback) linearising coordinates for systems in strict feedforward form. The application of the algorithms does not require checking the commutativity (resp. involutivity) of the distributions associated with the system, and the algorithms fail after few steps if the system is not linearisable. In the latter case, the algorithms are extended to provide coordinate systems bringing the system into a normal form which is a smooth (resp. analytic) counterpart of Kang's formal normal form. Illustrative examples for both the linearisation and convergent normal form include the vertical take off and landing aircraft, the multi-vehicle wireless testbed among others.     

Robust sigma–delta generalised proportional integral observer based control of a ‘buck’ converter with uncertain loads

This article describes the design of an observer based robust linear output feedback controller for the regulation and output reference trajectory tracking tasks in switched ‘buck’ converter circuits feeding a completely unknown time-varying load. The state-dependent perturbation effects of the unknown load resistance are on-line estimated by means of a generalised proportional integral (GPI) observer, which represents the dual counterpart of GPI controllers introduced in Fliess, Márquez, Delaleau and Sira-Ramírez (Fliess, M., Márquez, R., Delaleau, E., and Sira-Ramírez, H. (2002), ‘Correcteurs Proportionnels-intégraux Géneralisés’, ESAIM: Control, Optimisation and Calculus of Variations, 7, 23–41). The reconstructed perturbation complements the controller in a cancellation effort which allows the core of the feedback controller to become a traditional proportional derivative (PD) controller. The designed average feedback controller is then implemented via a sigma–delta-modulator, which effectively translates the designed continuous average feedback control input signal into a discrete valued switched input signal driving the converter's input switch and preserving all relevant features of the average design. The Appendix collects some generalities about GPI observers.     

A homogeneous domination approach to state feedback of stochastic high-order feedforward nonlinear systems

This paper investigates stochastic high-order feedforward nonlinear systems for the first time. By introducing the homogeneous domination approach and solving several troublesome obstacles in the design and analysis procedure, a state feedback controller is constructed to render the closed-loop system globally asymptotically stable in probability.     

Feedback control for a class of discrete event systems with critical time

This paper presents an algebraic approach for control laws synthesis of timed event graphs subjected to strict temporal constraints. This class of discrete event systems is deterministic, in the sense that its behaviour only depends on the initial marking and on the control that is applied. This behaviour can be modelled by a linear equations system in Min-Plus algebra. The temporal constraint is represented by an inequality that is also linear in the Min-Plus algebra. Then, a method for the synthesis of control laws ensuring the respect of constraints is described. We give explicit formulas characterising a control law, which ensures the validity of the temporal constraints. It is a causal feedback control, involving delays. The method is illustrated on an example.     

Global finite-time stabilisation by output feedback for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems

This article considers the problem of global finite-time stabilisation by output feedback for a class of nonlinear systems comprised of a chain of power integrators perturbed by an uncertain vector field. To solve the problem, we first construct a homogeneous observer and controller in a recursive way for the nominal system without the perturbing nonlinearities. Then, using the homogeneous domination approach, we scale the homogeneous observer and controller with an appropriate choice of gain to render the uncertain nonlinear system globally finite-time stable. Due to the use of a reduced-order observer, the proposed output feedback controller is applicable to those systems with unknown gains associated with the power integrators.