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Abstract :
Following the idea originally presented in [2] and recently re-described in [15], the present paper
emphasizes some features of barrier functions used as a design tool for control under output
constraints : a simple choice of such a function for backstepping design and asymmetric
constraints, a possible application to passive-like systems, and a special interest for interconnected
systems. Some illustrative examples are briefly presented accordingly.
Keywords : Nonlinear control, output constraint, backstepping, passive systems, SMIB, Euler-
Lagrange, coordinated control
Introduction :
Handling constraints is one of the challenging issues when controlling a dynamical system, and
various tools have been developed in that respect, even for nonlinear systems. Among them,
optimization-based methods as in MPC approaches are very popular (see e.g. [12, 6, 1]), but often
yielding numerical solutions. Alternatively, Lyapunov-based techniques can alternatively provide
explicit solutions in some cases : in particular, the use of so-called barrier functions (originally
introduced in a pure optimization context [7]) to handle output constraints in control systems has
very recently regained interest [16, 15, 13], while their first use in such a context was originally
proposed in [2] to the authors'knowledge (this idea was also instrumental in [3]).
In the present paper, the purpose is to further emphasize the potentialities of such a tool by
focusing on various classes of systems to which such an approach can apply, and chosen for the
sake of illustration : first of all the class of so-called strict feedback systems, for which it is
recalled how the celebrated backstepping method [109] can be adapted to the case of output
constraint [2, 15], even in the case of non symmetric contraints [4] ; secondly a class of systems
satisfying a passivity-like property for which it is shown how the same techniques can further
guarantee output constraints; thirdly systems subject to interconnection constraints for which
similar methods can yield stabilization.
Notice that the main concern here is thus about stability with guaranteed output constraint - which
means that the result can be at the expense of the input, and that the formal study of input
constraint - already widely considered in the literature for obvious practical motivations (see e.g.
anti wind-up or saturation techniques) – with such barrier techniques, is left for future works.
Section 2 first reviews the proposed theoretical remarks in three subsections, while section 3
provides some illustrative examples accordingly (and yielding original results). Section 4 finally
concludes the paper.
Conclusion :
Some possible applications of barrier-Lyapunov function-based design for control with constraints
have been emphasized, and a few concrete illustrative examples have been proposed accordingly.
Extensions to cases of uncertain models or varying constraints along similar lines as in [14, 15]
are also possible, and to the case of output feedback design as well.
Exercice 3 :