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This paper develops adaptive output tracking control schemes with the reference output signal generated from an unknown reference system whose output derivatives are also unknown. To deal with such reference system uncertainties, an expanded adaptive controller structure is developed to include a parametrized estimator of the equivalent reference input signal. Without using the knowledge of the reference system transfer function and equivalent input, both are the critical components of a traditional model reference adaptive control (MRAC) scheme, the developed new MRAC schemes designed for various cases plant and reference model uncertainties, ensure completely parametrized error systems and stable parameter adaptation, leading to the desired closed-loop system stability and asymptotic output tracking.

This paper develops an adaptive state tracking control scheme for discrete-time systems, using the least-squares algorithm, as the new solution to the long-standing discrete-time adaptive state tracking control problem to which the Lyapunov method (well-developed for the continuous-time adaptive state tracking problem) is not applicable. The new adaptive state tracking scheme is based on a recently-developed new discrete-time error model which has been used for gradient algorithm based state tracking control schemes, and uses the least-squares algorithm for parameter adaptation. The new least-squares algorithm is derived to minimize an accumulative estimation error, to ensure certain optimality for parameter estimation. The system stability and output tracking properties are studied. Technical results are presented in terms of plant-model matching, error model, adaptive law, optimality formulation, and stability and tracking analysis. The developed adaptive control scheme is applied to a discrete-time multiple mobile robot system to meet an adaptive state tracking objective. In addition, a collision avoidance mechanism is proposed to prevent collisions in the whole tracking process. Simulation results are presented, which verify the desired system state tracking properties under the developed least-squares algorithm based adaptive control scheme.

This paper conducts a comprehensive study of a classical adaptive control problem: adaptive control of a state-space plant model: $\dot{x}(t) = A x(t) + B u(t)$ in continuous time, or $x(t+1) = A x(t) + B u(t)$ in discrete time, for state tracking of a chosen stable reference model system: $\dot{x}_m(t) = A_m x_m(t) + B_m r(t)$ in continuous time, or $x_m(t+1) = A_m x_m(t) + B_m r(t)$ in discrete time. Adaptive state tracking control schemes for continuous-time systems have been reported in the literature, using a Lyapunov design and analysis method which has not been successfully applied to discrete-time systems, so that the discrete-time adaptive state tracking problem has remained to be open. In this paper, new adaptive state tracking control schemes are developed for discrete-time systems, using a gradient method for the design of adaptive laws for updating the controller parameters. Both direct and indirect adaptive designs are presented, which have the standard and desired adaptive law properties. Such a new gradient algorithm based framework is also developed for adaptive state tracking control of continuous-time systems, as compared with the Lyapunov method based framework.

This report presents the results of a simulation study of the linear model and bilinear model approximations of the Koopman system model of the nonlinear utility functions in optimal control of a 3-robot system. In such a control problem, the nonlinear utility functions are maximized to achieve the control objective of moving the robots to their target positions and avoiding collisions. With the linear and bilinear model approximations of the utility functions, the optimal control problem is solved, based on the approximate model state variables rather than the original nonlinear utility functions. This transforms the original nonlinear game theory problem to a linear optimization problem. This report studies both the centralized and decentralized implementations of the approximation model based control signals for the 3-robot system control problem. The simulation results show that the maximum value of the posteriori estimation error of the bilinear approximation model is several thousand times less than the linear approxiamtion model. This indicates that the bilinear model has more capacity to approximate the nonlinear utility functions. Both the centralized and decentralized bilinear approximation model based control signals can achieve the control objective of moving the robots to their target positions. Based on the analysis of the simulation time, the bilinear model based optimal control solution is fast enough for real-time control implementation.

This paper presents a study of the Koopman operator theory and its application to optimal control of a multi-robot system. The Koopman operator, while operating on a set of observation functions of the state vector of a nonlinear system, produces a set of dynamic equations which, through a dynamic transformation, form a new dynamic system. As an operator, it has a rich spectrum of mathematical properties, and as a tool for dynamic system analysis and control design, it has a unique collection of practical meanings. The Koopman system technique is then applied to the development of a linear or bilinear model approximation of nonlinear utility functions for optimal control of a system of multiple (mobile) robots, by selecting the utility functions as the Koopman system state variables and expressing the set of Koopman variables as the state variables of a linear or bilinear system whose parameters are determined through optimization. An iterative (online) algorithm is developed for adaptively estimating the parameters of the approximation model of the robot system with nonlinear utility functions. Finally, the control problems based on a linear or bilinear model for the nonlinear utility functions are formulated for optimal control of the multi-robot system, by transforming the nonlinear programming problem to a linear programming problem.

This paper develops a new model reference adaptive control (MRAC) framework using partial-state feedback for solving a multivariable adaptive output tracking problem. The developed MRAC scheme has full capability to deal with plant uncertainties for output tracking and has desired flexibility to combine the advantages of full-state feedback MRAC and output feedback MRAC. With such a new control scheme, the plant-model matching condition is achievable as with an output or state feedback MRAC design. A stable adaptive control scheme is developed based on LDS decomposition of the plant high-frequency gain matrix, which guarantees closed-loop stability and asymptotic output tracking. The proposed partial-state feedback MRAC scheme not only expands the existing family of MRAC, but also provides new features to the adaptive control system, including additional design flexibility and feedback capacity. Based on its additional design flexibility, a minimal-order MRAC scheme is also presented, which reduces the control adaptation complexity and relaxes the feedback information requirement, compared to the existing MRAC schemes. New results are presented for plant-model matching, error model, adaptive law and stability analysis. A simulation study of a linearized aircraft model is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and new features of the proposed MRAC control scheme.