Constrained tracking control for nonlinear systems.

Area of Science:

• Control Systems Engineering
• Nonlinear Dynamics

Background:

• Traditional control strategies often require prior knowledge of reference trajectories.
• Adapting controllers for varying set-points in nonlinear systems can be complex and computationally intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a tracking control strategy for nonlinear systems that does not require prior knowledge of the reference trajectory.
• To design a controller that can adapt to set-point changes without redesign.

Main Methods:

• A set of local controllers with overlapping stability regions were designed.
• An online switching strategy, incorporating augmented intermediate controllers, was developed to manage transitions between local controllers.
• Stability regions were estimated offline for various set-point changes.

Main Results:

• The proposed strategy effectively steers system states to desired set points without controller redesign.
• Smooth transient responses were achieved during switching among local controllers.
• Simulation examples demonstrated the algorithm's efficiency in controlling nonlinear systems.

Conclusions:

• The developed tracking control strategy offers a robust and adaptive solution for nonlinear systems.
• The method eliminates the need for prior trajectory information and simplifies set-point adjustments.
• The approach provides a foundation for advanced control applications in complex dynamic systems.