Optimization and Systems Theory Seminar
Friday, January 30, 1998, 11.00-12.00, Room 3721, Lindstedtsvägen 25


Professor Ioannis Kanellakopoulos
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles
USA

Nonlinear and adaptive control for advanced vehicles

Research in the Advanced Nonlinear Control Group at UCLA is focused on both theoretical and practical problems related to nonlinear systems with uncertainties. Recent theoretical results include adaptive control of discrete-time nonlinear systems using the new concept of "active identification", as well as robust control of continuous-time nonlinear systems with additive and multiplicative disturbances in the state measurement and the control input.

Application-oriented projects include active suspensions and automated commercial heavy vehicles. These systems contain smooth nonlinearities (hydraulic load flow, aerodynamic drag), which can be handled easily by existing design methodologies such as backstepping. The main obstacles to successful control design, however, are the severe limitations imposed by actuator saturation and large delays, especially in the brake systems of heavy-duty trucks. In response to these challenges, we developed new control designs which exploit the flexibility of backstepping to allow (a) the formulation of nonlinear performance objectives to accommodate saturations, and (b) the use of nonlinear predictors to counteract the delays. Combined with on-line adaptation, these modifications broaden the range of real-life systems that can be effectively controlled over large operating regions.

For more information on these projects, visit the Website of the Adaptive and Nonlinear Systems Laboratory at UCLA (http://ansl.ee.ucla.edu).


Calendar of seminars
Last update: January 26, 1998 by Anders Forsgren, andersf@math.kth.se.