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This paper proposes a novel distributed formation controller for general linear multi-agent systems with application to multiple quadcopters. First, a new locally computable state-estimate-based event-triggering communication condition is proposed for each agent. Then, the formation tracking problem is formulated as a stability analysis, controller gain and event-generator gain design problem of the closed-loop formation error dynamics. Sufficient conditions that guarantee the co-existence of a valid formation controller and an event-triggered communication mechanism are derived using a Lyapunov-based method and linear matrix inequality techniques. In addition, equivalent low (agent-sized) dimensional sufficient conditions are obtained to reduce the computational complexity. For the simulation conditions used in this research, the proposed estimate-based event-triggered communication mechanism generates less data communication instants when compared with traditional state-error-based mechanisms while still achieving similar control performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new predictive approach is proposed for the impedance control of bilateral drive-by-wire teleoperation systems. The proposed control structure includes two mirror predictors/ observers in both the master and slave sides. These predictors/ observers are used to simultaneously estimate the master and slave internal dynamics, and thereby to avoid the use of the delayed transmitted information. As a consequence, the influence of the delay on the whole system can be minimized and the performance can be improved. Under a set of suited hypotheses, the proposed control structure is shown to be uniformly ultimate stable, even in the presence of time-varying delays. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The behavior of the control structure is also experimentally demonstrated while performing remote steering of a small autonomous vehicle. Index Terms--Bilateral teleoperation systems, delayed systems, network-controlled systems, predictive approach, tlme-varying delays.

In this paper, a modular control approach is applied to a permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) speed control. Based on the functioning of the individual module, the modular approach enables the powerfully intelligent and robust control modules to easily replace any existing module which does not perform well, meanwhile retaining other existing modules which are still effective. Property analysis is first conducted for the existing function modules in a conventional PMSM control system: proportional--integral (PI) speed control module, reference current-generating module, and PI current control module. Next, it is shown that the conventional PMSM controller is not able to reject the torque pulsation which is the main hurdle when PMSM is used as a high-performance servo. By virtue of the internal model, to nullify the torque pulsation it is imperative to incorporate an internal model in the feed-through path. This is achieved by replacing the reference current-generating module with an iterative learning control (ILC) module. The ILC module records the cyclic torque and reference current signals over one entire cycle, and then uses those signals to update the reference current for the next cycle. As a consequence, the torque pulsation can be reduced significantly. In order to estimate the torque ripples which may exceed certain bandwidth of a torque transducer, a novel torque estimation module using a gain-shaped sliding-mode observer is further developed to facilitate the implementation of torque learning control. The proposed control system is evaluated through real-time implementation and experimental results validate the effectiveness. Index Terms--Iterative learning, modular approach, permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) speed control, pulsation torque minimization, sliding mode, torque observer.

It is well known by equivalent control theory, that in the sliding mode a low-pass filter, working as an average operator, can capture the desired control fairly well from the switching control signals. However, directly adding the filtered signals in parallel with the switching control does not warrant any improvement in the control system performance. In this work, we make clear the underlying reason why the sliding mode control (SMC) system does not function properly with such a simple closed-loop filtering structure. The correct way of incorporating the closed-loop filtering into SMC requires a second low-pass filter, which works concurrently with the first low pass filter to scale down the gain of the switching control. The SMC system with the new closed-loop filtering is able to realize the acquisition of equivalent control or estimate the disturbance, effectively reduce the switching gain to the minimum level, and as a result to eliminate chattering. Complementary to existing SMC, the proposed control system can easily incorporate feed-forward control into the closed-loop for bounded system perturbations. In addition, the frequency-domain knowledge can be easily used to construct the two filters. Index Terms--Closed-loop filtering, nonlinear systems, sliding mode control, Van der Pol circuits.

Common assumptions in most of the previous nonlinear networked leader–follower systems are that the leader is provided as a constant signal and that the controllers are designed for either the joint-space regulation or the translational Cartesian-space motion control. This article addresses the control issue of the delay-induced horizontal shift effect when the leader is moving with a changing speed. A novel mixed-type feedback is introduced to reduce the horizontal shift effect so as to minimize tracking errors experienced by the follower agents. In this article, we also study the complete pose control using a nonsingular terminal sliding mode (NTSM) method. A stability analysis is provided to prove the finite-time boundedness of the tracking error signals. Quantitative evaluations of the multiple effects on the error bound are conducted to facilitate the subsequent control design to improve the performance. Numerical simulation results of a team of two degree-of-freedoms (DOFs) manipulators demonstrate the improved tracking performance of the end effectors with small bounded errors which are affected by network delays, maximum assigned accelerations, and the selection of control gains. The experimental results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the developed controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article presents a two‐layered framework to investigate the output synchronization problem in nonhomogeneous agent systems in the presence of periodic energy‐limited denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks with an event‐triggered control strategy. Under the developed framework, the proposed controller for different agents is composed of a dynamic compensator and a regulator, where the dynamic compensator on the first layer can copy the dynamics of the leader node. DoS attacks with a periodic (partially known) attack strategy are based on a time sequence and interrupt the data exchange over a shard network consisting of the leader node and dynamic compensators in the first layer. An event‐triggered control protocol is proposed to reduce the update frequency of the controller, and it also ensures that the output of every dynamic compensator can track the output of the leader node without occurring "Zeno phenomenon." Based on the output regulator theory, the regulator for every agent can guarantee that all nonhomogeneous agents can converge to the trajectory of every dynamic compensator in the bottom layer. Finally, a simulation example is demonstrated to verify the new design method developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]