Adaptive Decentralized Control for Interconnected Time-Delay Uncertain Nonlinear Systems With Different Unknown Control Directions and Deferred Full-State Constraints

Tunnel Prescribed Control of Nonlinear Systems With Unknown Control Directions

This article solves the entry capture problem (ECP) such that for any initial tracking error, it can be regulated into the prescribed performance constraints within a user-given time. The challenge lies in how to remove the initial condition limitation and to handle the ECP for nonlinear systems under unknown control directions and asymmetric performance constraints. For better tracking performance, we propose a unified tunnel prescribed performance (TPP) providing strict and tight allowable set. With the aid of a scaling function, error self-tuning functions (ESFs) are then developed to make the control scheme suitable to any initial condition (including the initial constraint violation), where the initial values of ESFs always satisfy performance constraints. In lieu of the Nussbaum technique, an orientation function is introduced to deal with unknown control directions while such way is capable of reducing the control peaking problem. Using ESFs, together with TPP and an orientation function, the resulted tunnel prescribed control (TPC) leads to a solution for the underlying ECP, which also exhibits a low complexity level since no command filters or dynamic surface control is required. Finally, simulation results are provided to further demonstrate these theoretical findings.

Optimized Backstepping-Based Containment Control for Multiagent Systems With Deferred Constraints Using a Universal Nonlinear Transformation

This article investigates an optimized containment control problem for multiagent systems (MASs), where all followers are subject to deferred full-state constraints. A universal nonlinear transformation is proposed for simultaneously handling the cases with and without constraints. Particularly, for the constrained case, initial values of states are flexibly managed to the midpoint between upper and lower boundaries by utilizing a state-shifting function, thus eliminating the initial restriction conditions. By deferred constraints, the state is forced to fall back into the restrictive boundaries within a preassigned time. A neural network (NN)-based reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm is executed under the identifier-critic-actor architecture, where the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation is built in every subsystem to optimize control performance. For actor and critic NNs, updating laws are simplified, since the gradient descent method is performed based on a simple positive function rather than square of Bellman residual error. In view of the Lyapunov stability theorem and graph theory, it is proved that all signals are bounded and the outputs of followers can eventually enter into the convex hull constituted by leaders. Finally, simulations confirm the validity of the proposed approach.

Quantized-output-feedback practical prescribed-time design strategy for decentralized tracking of a class of interconnected nonlinear systems with unknown interaction delays

This paper proposes a decentralized practical prescribed-time (PT) tracking design using quantized output feedback (QOF) for uncertain interconnected lower-triangular systems with unknown time-delay interconnections. The local output signals are assumed to be only measured and quantized for the PT tracker design under a band-limited network. By employing a PT-dependent scaling function, a decentralized memoryless PT observer based on quantized local outputs is developed to estimate local unmeasurable state variables. Owing to output quantization, the available output feedback signals become discontinuous. As a result, the tracking error between the actual (i.e., unquantized) local output and the local desired signal cannot be utilized in the local virtual controller. To address this issue, a novel adaptive compensation mechanism is derived to design the local PT neural network tracking laws using only quantized local outputs and estimated states. The proposed PT tracking controller does not require information on the interconnected nonlinear functions and interaction delays. During the Lyapunov stability analysis, the boundary layer error decomposition approach is employed to address the issue of non-differentiability in the local virtual control laws. The proposed QOF control system achieves practical PT stability. It is shown that the settling time of local tracking errors can be predetermined, regardless of the design parameters and initial conditions. Finally, the proposed QOF decentralization strategy is supported with illustrative examples and a comparison to demonstrate its benefits.