Melvin Leok

Global optimal attitude estimation using uncertainty ellipsoids

A deterministic attitude estimation problem for a rigid body in a potential field, with bounded attitude and angular velocity measurement errors is considered. An attitude estimation algorithm that globally minimizes the attitude estimation error is obtained. Assuming that the initial attitude, the initial angular velocity and measurement noise lie within given ellipsoidal bounds, an uncertainty ellipsoid that bounds the attitude and the angular velocity of the rigid body is obtained. The center of the uncertainty ellipsoid provides point estimates, and the size of the uncertainty ellipsoid measures the accuracy of the estimates. The point estimates and the uncertainty ellipsoids are propagated using a Lie group variational integrator and its linearization, respectively. The attitude and angular velocity estimates are optimal in the sense that the sizes of the uncertainty ellipsoids are minimized.

A lie group variational integrator for the attitude dynamics of a rigid body with applications to the 3D pendulum

A numerical integrator is derived for a class of models that describe the attitude dynamics of a rigid body in the presence of an attitude dependent potential. The numerical integrator is obtained from a discrete variational principle, and exhibits excellent geometric conservation properties. In particular, by performing computations at the level of the Lie algebra, and updating the solution using the matrix exponential, the attitude automatically evolves on the rotation group embedded in the space of matrices. The geometric conservation properties of the numerical integrator imply long time numerical stability. We apply this variational integrator to the uncontrolled 3D pendulum, that is a rigid asymmetric body supported at a frictionless pivot acting under the influence of uniform gravity. Interesting dynamics of the 3D pendulum are exposed

Nonlinear Dynamics of the 3D Pendulum

A 3D pendulum consists of a rigid body, supported at a fixed pivot, with three rotational degrees of freedom. The pendulum is acted on by a gravitational force. 3D pendulum dynamics have been much studied in integrable cases that arise when certain physical symmetry assumptions are made. This paper treats the non-integrable case of the 3D pendulum dynamics when the rigid body is asymmetric and the center of mass is distinct from the pivot location. 3D pendulum full and reduced models are introduced and used to study important features of the nonlinear dynamics: conserved quantities, equilibria, relative equilibria, invariant manifolds, local dynamics, and presence of chaotic motions. The paper provides a unified treatment of the 3D pendulum dynamics that includes prior results and new results expressed in the framework of geometric mechanics. These results demonstrate the rich and complex dynamics of the 3D pendulum.

Attitude maneuvers of a rigid spacecraft in a circular orbit

A global model is presented that can be used to study attitude maneuvers of a rigid spacecraft in a circular orbit about a large central body. The model includes gravity gradient effects that arise from the non-uniform gravity field and characterizes the spacecraft attitude with respect to the uniformly rotating local vertical local horizontal coordinate frame. An accurate computational approach for solving a nonlinear boundary value problem is proposed, assuming that control torque impulses can be applied at initiation and at termination of the maneuver. If the terminal attitude condition is relaxed, then an accurate computational approach for solving the minimal impulse optimal control problem is presented. Since the attitude is represented by a rotation matrix, this approach avoids any singularity or ambiguity arising from other attitude representations such as Euler angles or quaternions

Optimal Control of a Rigid Body using Geometrically Exact Computations on SE(3)

Optimal control problems are formulated and efficient computational procedures are proposed for combined orbital and rotational maneuvers of a rigid body in three dimensions. The rigid body is assumed to act under the influence of forces and moments that arise from a potential and from control forces and moments. The key features of this paper are its use of computational procedures that are guaranteed to preserve the geometry of the optimal solutions. The theoretical basis for the computational procedures is summarized, and examples of optimal spacecraft maneuvers are presented

Spectral variational integrators

In this paper, we present a new variational integrator for problems in Lagrangian mechanics. Using techniques from Galerkin variational integrators, we construct a scheme for numerical integration that converges geometrically, and is symplectic and momentum preserving. Furthermore, we prove that under appropriate assumptions, variational integrators constructed using Galerkin techniques will yield numerical methods that are arbitrarily high-order. In particular, if the quadrature formula used is sufficiently accurate, then the resulting Galerkin variational integrator has a rate of convergence at the discrete time-steps that is bounded below by the approximation order of the finite-dimensional function space. In addition, we show that the continuous approximating curve that arises from the Galerkin construction converges on the interior of the time-step at half the convergence rate of the solution at the discrete time-steps. We further prove that certain geometric invariants also converge with high-order, and that the error associated with these geometric invariants is independent of the number of steps taken. We close with several numerical examples that demonstrate the predicted rates of convergence.

Discrete Hamilton–Jacobi Theory

We develop a discrete analogue of Hamilton–Jacobi theory in the framework of discrete Hamiltonian mechanics. The resulting discrete Hamilton–Jacobi equation is discrete only in time. We describe a discrete analogue of Jacobis solution and also prove a discrete version of the geometric Hamilton–Jacobi theorem. The theory applied to discrete linear Hamiltonian systems yields the discrete Riccati equation as a special case of the discrete Hamilton–Jacobi equation. We also apply the theory to discrete optimal control problems, and recover some well-known results, such as the Bellman equation (discrete-time HJB equation) of dynamic programming and its relation to the costate variable in the Pontryagin maximum principle. This relationship between the discrete Hamilton–Jacobi equation and Bellman equation is exploited to derive a generalized form of the Bellman equation that has controls at internal stages.

Controlled Lagrangians and Stabilization of the Discrete Cart-Pendulum System

Matching techniques are developed for discrete mechanical systems with symmetry. We describe new phenomena that arise in the controlled Lagrangian approach for mechanical systems in the discrete context. In particular, one needs to either make an appropriate selection of momentum levels or introduce a new parameter into the controlled Lagrangian to complete the matching procedure. We also discuss digital and model predictive control.

Discrete Hamilton-Jacobi theory and discrete optimal control

We develop a discrete analogue of Hamilton-Jacobi theory in the framework of discrete Hamiltonian mechanics. The resulting discrete Hamilton-Jacobi equation is discrete only in time. The correspondence between discrete and continuous Hamiltonian mechanics naturally gives rise to a discrete analogue of Jacobis solution to the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. We prove discrete analogues of Jacobis solution to the Hamilton-Jacobi equation and of the geometric Hamilton-Jacobi theorem. These results are readily applied to the discrete optimal control setting, and some well-known results in discrete optimal control theory, such as the Bellman equation, follow immediately. We also apply the theory to discrete linear Hamiltonian systems, and show that the discrete Riccati equation follows as a special case.

Variational and Geometric Structures of Discrete Dirac Mechanics

In this paper, we develop the theoretical foundations of discrete Dirac mechanics, that is, discrete mechanics of degenerate Lagrangian/Hamiltonian systems with constraints. We first construct discrete analogues of Tulczyjew’s triple and induced Dirac structures by considering the geometry of symplectic maps and their associated generating functions. We demonstrate that this framework provides a means of deriving discrete Lagrange–Dirac and nonholonomic Hamiltonian systems. In particular, this yields nonholonomic Lagrangian and Hamiltonian integrators. We also introduce discrete Lagrange–d’Alembert–Pontryagin and Hamilton–d’Alembert variational principles, which provide an alternative derivation of the same set of integration algorithms. The paper provides a unified treatment of discrete Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics in the more general setting of discrete Dirac mechanics, as well as a generalization of symplectic and Poisson integrators to the broader category of Dirac integrators.