Robust fixed-time trajectory tracking control of marine surface vessel with feedforward disturbance compensation

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel robust fixed-time control approach for the trajectory tracking control of a fully actuated marine surface vessel (MSV) subject to system uncertainties and external disturbances. First, a nominal fixed-time controller is originally designed based on the bi-limit homogeneous method. The nominal fixed-time controller can guarantee the position and velocity tracking errors converge to zero in fixed time in the absence of lumped disturbance. Then, a new type of fixed-time disturbance observer is introduced to estimate the lumped disturbance in fixed time. Finally, a robust fixed-time controller is developed by integrating the nominal fixed-time controller with the fixed-time disturbance observer. The robust fixed-time controller can guarantee the position and velocity tracking errors converge to zero in fixed time even in the presence of lumped disturbance. Benefiting from the feedforward disturbance compensation, the robust fixed-time controller has the strong robustness and excellent disturbance attenuation capability. Numerical simulations and comparisons demonstrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed control approach.

KEYWORDS:

• Marine surface vessel
• trajectory tracking control
• fixed-time control
• robust control
• fixed-time disturbance observer

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Qijia Yao

Qijia Yao received the B.S. degree from the School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China, in 2013, and the M.S. degree from the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Beijing Information Science and Technology University, Beijing, China, in 2018. He is currently working towards the Ph.D. degree at the School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China. His research interests include robust control, adaptive control, intelligent control, and nonlinear systems.