Maneuver synchronization of networked rotating platforms using historical nominal command

Despite the diverse potential applications of networked rotating platforms (NRP), the problem of robust cooperative control of NRP has been rarely investigated. In this paper, a robust synchronized control solution with an explicit parameter-tuning mechanism on comprehensive performance is proposed for NRP. The main features of our solution are two-fold: (a) the historical nominal commands (HNC) of neighbors are used to actively enhance the system cohesiveness performance, (b) an uncertainty and disturbance estimator (UDE) is incorporated into the controller to actively reject disturbances. The idea behind the design is to force the actual error dynamics of each controlled platform to approximate an ideal model equation. As a direct advantage of this design, the performance regulation is reduced to the tuning of the parameters of ideal model and the parameters determining the approximation accuracy. A parameter condition is derived under which the system stability is robust to the actively introduced delay. The relationship between the ultimate bounds of tracking errors and the parameter of UDE is characterized using an inequality. An experimental platform is constructed to verify performance of the controller using several Quanser AEROs and laser pointers. Simulation and experimental results have demonstrated: (a) the effectiveness of the stability condition; (b) the convenience and efficiency in regulating the system performance. Using the proposed controller, the projected points maneuver as an organic whole with excellent cohesiveness and robustness.