Robust proportional control for trajectory tracking using parameter and perturbation adaptive estimators

Abstract

The principal contribution of this paper is the feedback design of an output trajectory tracking controller applied to a certain class of mechanical systems. The controller does not need velocity measurements for its implementation and achieves the trajectory tracking control aim. We propose adaptive estimators to determine the plant parameters and constant external perturbations. When the plant is affected by time-variant external perturbations, an observer filter that can be implemented to recover an estimation of the time-variant perturbations can replace the adaptive estimator. The closed-loop stability is analysed throughout Lyapunov tools. We illustrate the performance of the proposed control structure via numerical simulations and experiments, the numerical simulations are carried out for a pendulum coupled to a DC motor and the experiments are accomplished for a mass-spring-damper system.