A Switched Systems Approach to Path Following with Intermittent State Feedback

TL;DR

This paper introduces a switched systems control approach for uncertain nonlinear systems that operate with intermittent state feedback, ensuring stability through dwell time conditions and switching trajectories, validated by simulations and experiments.

Contribution

It develops a novel control method combining observers and predictors for systems with temporary feedback loss, relaxing feedback constraints via Lyapunov-based dwell time analysis.

Findings

Ensures stability despite intermittent feedback

Provides a switching trajectory design with smooth transitions

Validated through simulations and experimental results

Abstract

Autonomous agents are often tasked with operating in an area where feedback is unavailable. Inspired by such applications, this paper develops a novel switched systems-based control method for uncertain nonlinear systems with temporary loss of state feedback. To compensate for intermittent feedback, an observer is used while state feedback is available to reduce the estimation error, and a predictor is utilized to propagate the estimates while state feedback is unavailable. Based on the resulting subsystems, maximum and minimum dwell time conditions are developed via a Lyapunov-based switched systems analysis to relax the constraint of maintaining constant feedback. Using the dwell time conditions, a switching trajectory is developed to enter and exit the feedback denied region in a manner that ensures the overall switched system remains stable. A scheme for designing a switching trajectory with a smooth transition function is provided. Simulation and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the performance of control design.