Sliding Mode Control and Differentiation in Nonlinear Systems
Summary
Sliding mode control is a robust variable-structure methodology that compels system trajectories to reach and maintain motion on a predetermined manifold despite model uncertainties and external disturbances. Precise differentiators estimate unmeasured state derivatives in real time, underpinning the implementation of high-performance feedback laws. In nonlinear settings, the synergy of sliding mode control and exact or robust differentiators yields rapid convergence and effective noise attenuation, while advanced reaching laws or higher-order schemes mitigate chattering. Applications range from precision mechatronics and aerospace systems to robotic manipulators, where resilience to perturbations and swift response are essential. Recent efforts focus on adaptive gain scheduling, predefined convergence times and discrete-time realisations to enhance practical viability and global performance.
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Research from all publishers
Recent contributions have advanced the integration of differentiators within sliding mode frameworks. An IEEE Access study in 2024 introduced global higher-order sliding mode differentiators with dynamic gains within an adaptive backstepping controller, demonstrating uniform global stability and superior performance in aircraft wing-rock suppression and DC motor experiments. A 2023 experimental survey in Control Engineering Practice assessed twenty-five discrete-time differentiators on an electro-pneumatic setup, validating theoretical convergence results and guiding practitioners in selecting schemes that optimally balance noise attenuation and response speed. In Automatica (2021), a class of exact differentiators was developed with user-defined convergence times, providing tuning procedures to guarantee finite-time derivative estimation and illustrating application to uniform robust exact differentiators. These studies highlight a trend towards dynamic, precisely timed and experimentally validated differentiation strategies in nonlinear control.
Sliding Mode Control and Differentiation in Nonlinear Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in sliding mode control and differentiation in nonlinear systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Sliding Mode Control: A robust variable-structure approach that forces system states to reach and stay on a designated manifold despite uncertainties and disturbances.
Differentiator: An algorithm or observer that provides real-time estimates of signal derivatives to inform control laws.
Higher-Order Sliding Mode (HOSM): An extension of sliding mode control to higher derivatives that improves convergence speed and reduces chattering.
Adaptive Backstepping: A recursive control design technique combining state estimation with parameter adaptation to stabilise nonlinear systems.
Chattering: Undesirable high-frequency oscillations in control signals arising from discontinuous switching actions.
References
- Adaptive Backstepping Control Based on Global HOSM Differentiators With Dynamic Gains. IEEE Access (2024).
- A survey on the discrete-time differentiators in closed-loop control systems: Experiments on an electro-pneumatic system. Control Engineering Practice (2023).
- Robust exact differentiators with predefined convergence time. Automatica (2021).
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