Many industrial motion systems require performing a variety of tasks with high precision and safety. Iterative learning control (ILC) is a method with convergent update laws, generally classified into: 1) parametrized learning approach for achieving task-flexibility against varying tasks; or 2) signal-based learning approach which can achieve perfect tracking-performance for repeating tasks. The aim of this study is to join the distinct ILC frameworks, achieving all desirable properties in a single framework. Specifications on convergence, tracking-performance and task-flexibility of the developed joint parametrized/signal-based ILC are theoretically derived, confirmed with experimental results on a two-mass system.

Physically interpretable models are essential for next-generation industrial systems, as these representations enable effective control, support design validation, and provide a foundation for monitoring strategies. The aim of this paper is to develop a system identification framework for estimating modal models of complex multivariable mechanical systems from frequency response data. To achieve this, a two-step structured identification algorithm is presented, where an additive model is first estimated using a refined instrumental variable method and subsequently projected onto a modal form. The developed identification method provides accurate, physically-relevant, minimal-order models, for both generally-damped and proportionally damped modal systems. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through experimental validation on a prototype wafer-stage system, which features a large number of spatially distributed actuators and sensors and exhibits complex flexible dynamics.

Feedforward motion control for unmeasured performance variables at the point of interest is crucial for attaining high throughput and accuracy in motion systems. The aim of this paper is to develop a data-driven approach for feedforward tuning that addresses the true performance at the point of interest. The presented approach is a novel methodology that employs rational feedforward structures for performing flexible tasks with high accuracy, in conjunction with an sensor fusion for addressing the point-of-interest. In particular, the tracking error of the unmeasured performance variable is accurately estimated by combining acceleration measurements and encoder measurements. Simulation results show that optimizing for the estimated point-of-interest error achieves similar tracking performance as optimizing for the true point-of-interest error, indicating accurate sensor-fusion estimates for feedforward control. Experimental validation demonstrates that optimizing for the estimated point-of-interest error significantly reduces the estimated point-of-interest tracking error compared to minimizing the encoder error.

The standard assumption that exact measurement data is available at equidistant time instances in repetitive control (RC) is not always justified, e.g., when exploiting time-stamped data from incremental encoders or in systems with data dropouts. The aim of this article is to develop an RC framework that is capable of exploiting intermittently sampled measurement signals. Stability conditions for the intermittent RC framework are provided that can be verified using the frequency response function (FRF) data. This condition results in a frequency-domain design procedure for repetitive controllers in this intermittent setting. The intermittent RC framework is validated on an industrial print belt setup for which nonequidistant measurement data are available.

Mechanical ventilators are essential for patients who are unable to breathe independently. The aim of this article is to develop a systematic control design methodology that achieves accurate tracking of both the pressure and flow to ensure comfortable breathing for the patient. A hybrid controller is introduced that ensures improved baseflow tracking performance. The actual controller design leverages frequency-based techniques and is based on static decoupling and the factorized Nyquist criterion. Furthermore, a theoretical stability analysis of the hybrid controller is presented. The presented control strategy is implemented in a real ventilator, and it is demonstrated that the tracking performance is improved by conducting an experimental case study.

Iterative learning control (ILC) is an intelligent control methodology for tackling iteration-invariant exogenous inputs. It is of great significance to develop its extrapolation for more general repetitive tasks with mutual similarity, e.g., tasks with different time scales. In practice, discrete-time ILC with sampling behavior for time-scale-varying tasks suffers from the failure of perfect corresponding learning and environment-dependent iteration-varying disturbances. This paper develops a novel direct data-based ILC algorithm using off-policy Q-learning for tasks with varying time scales, enabling the robust learning of an optimal ILC policy from experimental input/output (I/O) data. From a two-player zero-sum game perspective, the iteration-varying disturbance generated from the varying time scales of repetitive tasks is tackled quantitatively with a preset disturbance attenuation level. Further, to emphasize the importance of theoretical guarantees of reinforcement learning (RL)-based ILC designs, the data efficiency of the developed algorithm is enhanced based on Willems’ Fundamental Lemma, and a rigorous convergence analysis is given. The simulation model of an F-16 aircraft autopilot is employed to show the effectiveness of the developed approach.

Next-generation high-precision mechatronic systems require safe and precise control of unmeasurable states. State-tracking iterative learning control (ILC) can achieve extremely high state-tracking performance up to the performance of state estimation, with convergence guaranteed apriori through the frequency-domain characteristics of the state estimator. The aim of this study is to develop a noncausal state estimation framework with verifiable frequency-domain characteristics. In batch-operated systems such as ILC, the use of noncausal design leads to substantial performance improvements that surpass the fundamental limits of causal approaches. Furthermore, by analytically verifying the frequency-domain characteristics of the noncausal state estimator, the developed framework retains the benefit of guaranteeing convergence in ILC. The developed framework is validated both by simulation and experiment, confirming improved state-tracking with monotonic convergence of ILC, achieved by exploiting noncausality in state estimation.

Objective: This study aims to reduce expert annotation effort in detecting patient-ventilator asynchrony (PVA) by introducing a semi-supervised learning framework for time series classification. Methods and procedures: We propose a model-independent framework that integrates hierarchical clustering and dynamic time-warping (DTW) for efficient data selection and label projection. The framework includes five steps: data collection, selection, annotation, projection, and model training. It is validated using a fully labeled dataset from Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Policlinico San Matteo and applied to an unlabeled dataset from Maasstad Hospital, where annotation consistency and label quality are analyzed. Results: The framework reduces annotation effort by over 75% while closely resembling classification performance. On the San Matteo dataset, the model trained with projected labels achieved performance close to that of a fully supervised model. The method effectively captured rare PVA types and improved macro-averaged F1 scores compared to random sampling. On the Maasstad dataset, despite annotation inconsistencies, the framework demonstrated moderate detection performance (75% micro-averaged F₁ score) using labels from a single clinical expert. Conclusion: Our semi-supervised framework enables scalable and efficient annotation of clinical time series data, maintaining model accuracy with minimal expert input. It is robust across datasets and adaptable to varying signal quality and annotation consistency.

Free-space optical satellite communication terminals rely on accurate metrology of their pointing mirrors to correctly aim their laser to a counter terminal, while at the same time requiring simple, lightweight and low-cost sensors. The aim of this paper is to develop an automated procedure for the calibration of these sensors in a mass production setting, using a pointing test bench (PTB) to automatically calibrate the angular sensors of many Coarse Pointing Assemblies (CPAs), which position pointing mirrors over a large field-of-regard. The PTB and CPA are aligned using feedback over an external optical position sensor (OPS) and an inverse kinematic model is learned from data, after which Gaussian Process regression models are created to predict and correct sensor errors, taking into account propagation of calibration errors from the PTB to the CPA. Experimental results show that the CPA sensor errors are reduced by two orders of magnitude by this automated calibration approach, even at orientations at which the PTB itself is uncalibrated. The developed framework is generalizable to calibration of arbitrary 2 degree of freedom (2-DOF) rotary systems and is not limited to specific types of position sensors, thereby enabling significant cost savings and increased accuracy in mass production of satellite communication terminals.

Noise from auxiliary subsystems, amplified by their own control system, can couple to the output signal of gravitational wave detectors, limiting the maximum attainable sensitivity. Subtraction filters can be used to mitigate this coupling of noise by adding a secondary disturbance path with the purpose of canceling the noise in the output of the detector. The aim of this paper is to develop a systematic approach for the design and online adaptive estimation of subtraction filters. The proposed method adaptively updates the subtraction filter without the need for external perturbations to the system, providing a robust approach towards handling the time-varying couplings in the system as well as reducing the need for detector downtime. The method is validated on a representative simulation of the Advanced Virgo+ gravitational wave detector, illustrating that the method is capable of suppressing the coupling of noise from an auxiliary subsystem while the coupling varies over time.

Factors like growing data availability and increasing system complexity have sparked interest in data-driven predictive control (DDPC) methods like Data-enabled Predictive Control (DeePC). However, closed-loop identification bias arises in the presence of noise, which reduces the effectiveness of obtained control policies. In this paper we propose Closed-loop Data-enabled Predictive Control (CL-DeePC), a framework that unifies different approaches to address this challenge. To this end, CL-DeePC incorporates instrumental variables (IVs) to synthesize and sequentially apply consistent single or multi-step-ahead predictors. Furthermore, a computationally efficient CL-DeePC implementation is developed that reveals an equivalence with Closed-loop Subspace Predictive Control (CL-SPC). Time marching simulations of DeePC and CL-DeePC are conducted using Hankel matrices of past data that are updated at every time step to induce potentially troublesome closed-loop correlations between inputs and noise. Compared to DeePC, CL-DeePC simulations demonstrate superior reference tracking, with a sensitivity study finding a 48% lower susceptibility to noise-induced reference tracking performance degradation.

Linear Hall sensors are a cost-effective alternative to optical encoders for measuring the rotor positions of actuators, with the main challenge being that they exhibit position-dependent inaccuracies resulting from manufacturing tolerances. This paper develops a data-driven calibration procedure for linear analog Hall sensors that enables accurate online estimates of the rotor angle without requiring expensive external encoders. The approach combines closed-loop data collection with nonlinear identification to obtain an accurate model of the sensor inaccuracies, which is subsequently used for online compensation. Simulation results show that when the flux density model structure is known, measurement errors are reduced to the sensor noise floor, and experiments on an industrial setup demonstrate a factor of 2.6 reduction in the root-mean-square measurement error. These results confirm that Hall sensor inaccuracies can be calibrated even when no external encoder is available, improving their practical applicability.

The state and output estimation accuracy depends on both the observer and the sensor locations. This paper focuses on this co-design problem in lithography applications. A theoretical formulation of this co-design problem is presented and solved for discrete-time linear stochastic models. We compare the optimal solution of two variants of the estimation problem. The first variant minimizes the transient estimation error whereas the second one minimizes the steady-state estimation error. In both cases, the Kalman filter is optimal. While solving these problems for a lithography application formulated as a 3D thermoelastic model, we observe a significant difference between the optimal sensor placements. Our results highlight the importance of designing a sensor layout in line with the desired transient or steady-state estimation performance.

Increasingly stringent performance requirements for motion systems necessitate explicit control of the flexible dynamic behavior. The aim of this paper is to present an approach to identify spatio-temporal models of overactuated mechatronic systems with a limited number of spatially distributed sensors. The proposed approach exploits the modal modeling framework and exploits the symmetry in modal models to enhance the spatial resolution of the identified spatially-sampled modal models. Spatio-temporal models are identified by updating prior finite element method-based models based on the identified extended modal models. The experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach for the identification of complex position-dependent mechanical systems.

Multivariable parametric models are critical for designing, controlling, and optimizing the performance of engineered systems. The main aim of this letter is to develop a parametric identification strategy that delivers accurate and physically relevant models of multivariable systems using time-domain data. The introduced approach adopts an additive model structure, providing a parsimonious and interpretable representation of many physical systems, and applies a refined instrumental variable-based estimation algorithm. The developed identification method enables the estimation of multivariable parametric additive models in continuous time and is applicable to both open- and closed-loop systems. The performance of the estimator is demonstrated through numerical simulations and experimentally validated on a flexible beam system.

Hard-to-model, often nonlinear dynamics limit the tracking performance of physical-model-based feedforward control in medical interventional X-ray (IX) systems. In this article, these unknown dynamics are compensated using a physics-guided neural network (PGNN) feedforward controller. The PGNN consists of a parallel combination of a physical model describing the equations of motions of the IX and a feedforward neural network. To ensure that the neural network compensates only for the dynamics not included in the physical model, the neural network output in the subspace spanned by the physical model is penalized through regularization. As a result, the physical model serves as a baseline for performance, and the neural network contribution can be monitored or disabled. The PGNN feedforward controller is validated on an experimental IX setup, illustrating its superior performance over a physical-model-based feedforward controller.