Finite-time output feedback trans-media tracking control of a slender body trans-media vehicle via neural network extended state observer

The emerging trans-media vehicle is significant due to its amphibious ability. A finite-time output feedback trans-media tracking control scheme is proposed for a slender body trans-media vehicle with unknown time-varying hydrodynamics and external disturbances. First, a novel neural network extended state observer is developed to observe the vehicle’s velocities and handle the time-varying hydrodynamics and total disturbances simultaneously. Then, combined with the proposed observer, the finite-time command filtered backstepping technique is carefully constructed to yield the finite-time output feedback tracking control. The strength of the proposed approach to the existing methods is that it ensures the trans-media tracking errors converge to the small region of origin within a finite time, even in the absence of velocity measurements. The simulations are given to illustrate the superiority of the proposed scheme.