Development of a model predictive controller for motion planning in a dynamic urban search and rescue environment

A key challenge for SaR robotics is to avoid dynamic obstacles in cluttered environments, with limited and noisy information. In this research, a controller for SaR robots is developed by coupling a local heuristic motion planner with a model predictive control (MPC) based trajectory tracker. Constraint tightening and tube-based control are used...

A robust control strategy for virtual coupling train platoons

This paper presents a train robust control method to optimize train operation based on the concept virtual coupling on train platoon. This approach is inspired by the recent development of platoon control for autonomous vehicles, and it is hoped that this platoon control can be applied to railway transportation. We use a decentralized model...

Robust Output Regulation: Optimization-Based Synthesis and Event-Triggered Implementation

In this article, we investigate the problem of practical output regulation, i.e., to design a controller that brings the system output in the vicinity of a desired target value while keeping the other variables bounded. We consider uncertain systems that are possibly nonlinear and the uncertainty of their linear parts is modeled element wise...

Cooperative multi-agent control for autonomous ship towing under environmental disturbances

Among the promising application of autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) is the utilization of multiple autonomous tugs for manipulating a floating object such as an oil platform, a broken ship, or a ship in port areas. Considering the real conditions and operations of maritime practice, this paper proposes a multi-agent control algorithm to...

Data-driven Fixed-Structure Controller Design for Linear Parameter-Varying Systems: A Frequency-Domain Approach

With data-driven control it is possible to design a controller for systems with non-parametric models. The intermediate step of modelling or identification of the system is not necessary, because a non-parametric model of the system can be obtained by means of experimental data. In the linear time-invariant (LTI) framework, these non-parametric...

Integral Support Structure and Controller Design of an Offshore Wind Turbine

In the past decade, the wind energy subsidies provided by the Dutch government is declining. In order to adopt wind energy as a well-established source of renewable energy, the costs of (offshore) wind energy should be lowered. This can be achieved by increasing the energy production or by lowering the maintenance and initial costs. In search of...

Hierarchical energy management system for microgrid operation based on robust model predictive control

This paper presents a two-level hierarchical energy management system (EMS) for microgrid operation that is based on a robust model predictive control (MPC) strategy. This EMS focuses on minimizing the cost of the energy drawn from the main grid and increasing self-consumption of local renewable energy resources, and brings benefits to the...

Controlling the Unknown: A Game Theoretic Perspective

We consider the problem of safely controlling an unknown stochastic linear dynamical system subject to an infinite-horizon discounted quadratic cost. <br/>Many of the existing model-based approaches for handling the corresponding robust optimal control problem resort to game theoretic formulations of the uncertainty, either explicit- or...

Automatic robust controller synthesis: With application to a wet clutch system

A wet clutch is a device that transfers torque between two shafts via a hydraulic mechanism. Wet clutch control is key to achieve smooth and fast clutch engagements. Optimal control of a wet clutch is not trivial because of the complexity of the system due to nonlinearities, hybrid dynamics and changing dynamics over time due to changing...

Stable force control and contact transition of a single link flexible robot using a fractional-order controller

The control of robots that interact with the environment is an open area of research. Two applications that benefit from this study are: the control of the force exerted by a robot on an object, which allows the robot to perform complex tasks like assembly operations, and the control of collisions, which allows the robot safely collaborate...

A DSC method for strict-feedback nonlinear systems with possibly unbounded control gain functions

In dynamic surface control (DSC) methods, the control gain functions of systems are always assumed to be bounded, which is a restrictive assumption. This work proposes a novel DSC approach for an extended class of strict-feedback nonlinear systems whose control gain functions are continuous and possibly unbounded. Appropriate compact sets are...

Sequential convex relaxation for robust static output feedback structured control

We analyse the very general class of uncertain systems that have Linear Fractional Representations (LFRs), and uncertainty blocks in a convex set with a finite number of vertices. For these systems we design static output feedback controllers. In the general case, computing a robust static output feedback controller with optimal performance...

Analysis and control of uncertain systems by using robust semi-definite programming

Robust flight control: Several aeronautical applications