Leonid B. Freidovich

Performance Recovery of Feedback-Linearization-Based Designs

We consider a tracking problem for a partially feedback linearizable nonlinear system with stable zero dynamics. The system is uncertain and only the output is measured. We use an extended high-gain observer of dimension n+1, where n is the relative degree. The observer estimates n derivatives of the tracking error, of which the first (n-1) derivatives are states of the plant in the normal form and the nth derivative estimates the perturbation due to model uncertainty and disturbance. The controller cancels the perturbation estimate and implements a feedback control law, designed for the nominal linear model that would have been obtained by feedback linearization had all the nonlinearities been known and the signals been available. We prove that the closed-loop system under the observer-based controller recovers the performance of the nominal linear model as the observer gain becomes sufficiently high. Moreover, we prove that the controller has an integral action property in that it ensures regulation of the tracking error to zero in the presence of constant nonvanishing perturbation.

LuGre-Model-Based Friction Compensation

A tracking problem for a mechanical system is considered. We start with a feedback controller that is designed without attention to disturbances, which are assumed to be adequately described by a dynamic LuGre friction model. We are interested in deriving a superimposed observer-based compensator to annihilate or reduce the influence of such a disturbance. We exploit a recently suggested approach for observer design for LuGre-friction-model-based compensation. In order to apply this technique, it is necessary to know the Lyapunov function for the unperturbed system, as well as the parameters of the dynamic friction model, and to verify that a certain structural property satisfied. The case when the system is passive with respect to the matching disturbance related to the given Lyapunov function is illustrated in this brief with a DC-motor example. The main contribution is some new insights into the numerical real-time implementation of a compensator for disturbances describable by one of various LuGre-type models. The other contribution, which is built upon the main one, is experimental verification of the suggested model-based observer design procedure.

Transverse Linearization for Controlled Mechanical Systems With Several Passive Degrees of Freedom

This study examines the mechanical systems with an arbitrary number of passive (non-actuated) degrees of freedom and proposes an analytical method for computing coefficients of a linear controlled system, solutions of which approximate dynamics transverse to a feasible motion. This constructive procedure is based on a particular choice of coordinates and allows explicit introduction of a moving Poincare¿ section associated with a nontrivial finite-time or periodic motion. In these coordinates, transverse dynamics admits analytical linearization before any control design. If the forced motion of an underactuated mechanical system is periodic, then this linearization is an indispensable and constructive tool for stabilizing the cycle and for analyzing its orbital (in)stability. The technique is illustrated with two challenging examples. The first one is stabilization of a circular motions of a spherical pendulum on a puck around its upright equilibrium. The other one is creating stable synchronous oscillations of an arbitrary number of planar pendula on carts around their unstable equilibria.

Can we make a robot ballerina perform a pirouette? Orbital stabilization of periodic motions of underactuated mechanical systems☆

This paper provides an introduction to several problems and techniques related to controlling periodic motions of dynamical systems. In particular, we consider planning periodic motions and designing feedback controllers for orbital stabilization. We review classical and recent design methods based on the Poincare first-return map and the transverse linearization. We begin with general nonlinear systems and then specialize to a class of underactuated mechanical systems for which a particularly rich structure allows many of the problems to be solved analytically.

Virtual-Holonomic-Constraints-Based Design of Stable Oscillations of Furuta Pendulum: Theory and Experiments

The Furuta pendulum consists of an arm rotating in the horizontal plane and a pendulum attached to its end. Rotation of the arm is controlled by a DC motor, while the pendulum is moving freely in the plane, orthogonal to the arm. Motivated, in particular, by possible applications for walking/running/balancing robots, we consider the Furuta pendulum as a system for which synchronized periodic motions of all the generalized coordinates are to be created and stabilized. The goal is to achieve, via appropriate feedback control action, orbitally exponentially stable oscillations of the pendulum of various shapes around its upright and downward positions, accompanied with oscillations of the arm. Our approach is based on the idea of stabilization of a particular virtual holonomic constraint imposed on the configuration coordinates, which has been theoretically developed recently. Here, we elaborate on the complete design procedure. The results are illustrated not only through numerical simulations but also through successful experimental tests.

Brief paper: Periodic motions of the Pendubot via virtual holonomic constraints: Theory and experiments

This paper presents a new control strategy for an underactuated two-link robot, called the Pendubot. The goal is to create stable oscillations of the outer link of the Pendubot, which is not directly actuated. We exploit a recently proposed feedback control design strategy, based on motion planning via virtual holonomic constraints. This strategy is shown to be useful for design of regulators for achieving: stable oscillatory motions, a closed-loop-design-based swing-up, and propeller motions. The theoretical results are verified via successful experimental implementation.

Brief paper: Lyapunov-based switching control of nonlinear systems using high-gain observers

We consider dynamic output feedback practical stabilization of uniformly observable nonlinear systems, based on high-gain observers with saturation. We assume that uncertain parameters and initial conditions belong to known but comparably large compact sets. In this situation, designs based on traditional robust or adaptive techniques, if applicable, would lead to high controller, observer, and adaptation gains. High gains may excite unmodeled dynamics and significantly amplify measurement noise. Moreover, they could be impossible or too costly to implement. In order to reduce the control efforts and improve robustness of a continuous high-gain-observer-based sliding mode control with respect to these nonideal operational conditions, we have recently proposed a new logic-based switching design strategy. In this paper, we generalize our technique and apply it to a wider class of nonlinear systems and more general Lyapunov-function-based state and output feedback designs. It is important to notice, in particular, that we require neither the sign of the high-frequency gain to be known nor the system to he minimum-phase. The key idea is to split the set of parameters into smaller subsets, design a controller for each of them, and switch the controller if the derivative of the Lyapunov function does not satisfy a certain inequality, after a dwell-time period. We do not order the candidate controllers in advance, as in our earlier work. Instead, we use estimates of the derivatives of the states, provided by an extended order high-gain observer, to calculate instantaneous performance indices. When the controller is falsified, we switch to a new controller that corresponds to the smallest index among the controllers that have not been falsified yet. This modification is important when the number of candidate controllers is high and pre-routed search may lead to an unacceptable transient performance.

Transverse Linearization for Impulsive Mechanical Systems With One Passive Link

A general method for planning and orbitally stabilizing periodic motions for impulsive mechanical systems with underactuation one is proposed. For each such trajectory, we suggest a constructive procedure for defining a sufficient number of nontrivial quantities that vanish on the orbit. After that, we prove that these quantities constitute a possible set of transverse coordinates. Finally, we present analytical steps for computing linearization of dynamics of these coordinates along the motion. As a result, for each such planned periodic trajectory, a hybrid transverse linearization for dynamics of the system is computed in closed form. The derived impulsive linear system can be used for stability analysis and for design of exponentially orbitally stabilizing feedback controllers. A geometrical interpretation of the method is given in terms of a novel concept of a moving Poincare section. The technique is illustrated on a devil stick example.

Robust Feedback Linearization using Extended High-Gain Observers

We consider a partially feedback linearizable system with stable zero dynamics. The system is uncertain and only the output is measured. Consequently, exact feedback linearization is not applicable. We propose to design an extended high-gain observer to recover unmeasured derivatives of the output and an extra one, which contains information about the uncertainty. The observer can be stabilized via feedback linearization followed by a linear control design, such as pole placement or LQR. After a short peaking period, a partial state vector, which includes the output and its derivatives, will be in a small neighborhood of the state of the observer; therefore, the performance achievable under exact feedback linearization will be recovered

A Passive 2-DOF Walker: Hunting for Gaits Using Virtual Holonomic Constraints

A planar compass-like biped on a shallow slope is one of the simplest models of a passive walker. It is a 2-degree-of-freedom (DOF) impulsive mechanical system that is known to possess periodic solutions reminiscent of human walking. Finding such solutions is a challenging computational task that has attracted many researchers who are motivated by various aspects of passive and active dynamic walking. We propose a new approach to find stable as well as unstable hybrid limit cycles without integrating the full set of differential equations and, at the same time, without approximating the dynamics. The procedure exploits a time-independent representation of a possible periodic solution via a virtual holonomic constraint. The description of the limit cycle obtained in this way is useful for the analysis and characterization of passive gaits as well as for design of regulators to achieve gaits with the smallest required control efforts. Some insights into the notion of hybrid zero dynamics, which are related to such a description, are presented as well.