Streamlining of the state-dependent Riccati equation controller algorithm for an embedded implementation

In many practical control problems the dynamics of the plant to be controlled are nonlinear. However, in most cases the controller design is based on a linear approximation of the dynamics. One of the reasons for this is that, in general, nonlinear control design methods are difficult to apply to practical problems. The State Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE) control approach is a relatively new practical approach to nonlinear control that has the simplicity of the classical Linear Quadratic control method. This approach has been recently applied to control experimental autonomous air vehicles with relative success. To make the SDRE approach practical in applications where the computational resources are limited and where the dynamic models are more complex it would be necessary to re-examine and streamline this control algorithm. The main objective of this work is to identify improvements that can be made to the implementation of the SDRE algorithm to improve its performance. This is accomplished by analyzing the structure of the algorithm and the underlying functions used to implement it. At the core of the SDRE algorithm is the solution, in real time, of an Algebraic Riccati Equation. The impact of the selection of a suitable algorithm to solve the Riccati Equation is analyzed. Three different algorithms were studied. Experimental results indicate that the Kleinman algorithm performs better than two other algorithms based on Newton’s method. This work also demonstrates that appropriately setting a maximum number of iterations for the Kleinman approach can improve the overall system performance without degrading accuracy significantly. Finally, a software implementation of the SDRE algorithm was developed and benchmarked to study the potential performance improvements of a hardware implementation. The test plant was an inverted pendulum simulation based on experimental hardware. Bottlenecks in the software implementation were identified and a possible hardware design to remove one such bottleneck was developed

ERROR ESTIMATES OF GAUSS-TURAN QUADRATURES

A survey of our recent results on the error of Gauss-Tur´an quadrature formulae for functions which are analytic on a neighborhood of the set of integration is given. In particular, a computable upper bound of the error is presented which is valid for arbitrary weight functions. A comparison is made with the exact error and number of numerical examples, for arbitrary weight functions, are given which show the advantages of using such rules as well as the sharpness of the error bound. Asymptotic error estimates when the number of nodes in the quadrature increases are presented. A couple of numerical examples are included

QUADRATURE FORMULAS FOR THE FOURIER-CHEBYSHEV COEFFICIENTS

We consider the well known Micchelli-Rivlin quadrature formula, of highest algebraic degree of precision, for the Fourier-Chebyshev coefficients. For analytic functions the remainder term of this quadrature formula can be represented as a contour integral with a complex kernel. We study the kernel, on elliptic contours with foci at the points ∓1 and a sum of semiaxes ρ > 1, for the quoted quadrature formula. Starting from the explicit expression of the kernel, we determine the locations on the ellipses where maximum modulus of the kernel is attained. So we derive effective L ∞- error bounds for this quadrature formula. Complex-variable methods are used to obtain expansions of the error in the Micchelli-Rivlin quadrature formula over the interval [−1, 1]. Finally, effective L 1 -error bounds are also derived for this quadrature formul

Advances in Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement Learning (RL) is a very dynamic area in terms of theory and application. This book brings together many different aspects of the current research on several fields associated to RL which has been growing rapidly, producing a wide variety of learning algorithms for different applications. Based on 24 Chapters, it covers a very broad variety of topics in RL and their application in autonomous systems. A set of chapters in this book provide a general overview of RL while other chapters focus mostly on the applications of RL paradigms: Game Theory, Multi-Agent Theory, Robotic, Networking Technologies, Vehicular Navigation, Medicine and Industrial Logistic

Cumulative reports and publications through December 31, 1990

This document contains a complete list of ICASE reports. Since ICASE reports are intended to be preprints of articles that will appear in journals or conference proceedings, the published reference is included when it is available

Time-Delay Switch Attack on Networked Control Systems, Effects and Countermeasures

In recent years, the security of networked control systems (NCSs) has been an important challenge for many researchers. Although the security schemes for networked control systems have advanced in the past several years, there have been many acknowledged cyber attacks. As a result, this dissertation proposes the use of a novel time-delay switch (TDS) attack by introducing time delays into the dynamics of NCSs. Such an attack has devastating effects on NCSs if prevention techniques and countermeasures are not considered in the design of these systems. To overcome the stability issue caused by TDS attacks, this dissertation proposes a new detector to track TDS attacks in real time. This method relies on an estimator that will estimate and track time delays introduced by a hacker. Once a detector obtains the maximum tolerable time delay of a plant’s optimal controller (for which the plant remains secure and stable), it issues an alarm signal and directs the system to its alarm state. In the alarm state, the plant operates under the control of an emergency controller that can be local or networked to the plant and remains in this stable mode until the networked control system state is restored. In another effort, this dissertation evaluates different control methods to find out which one is more stable when under a TDS attack than others. Also, a novel, simple and effective controller is proposed to thwart TDS attacks on the sensing loop (SL). The modified controller controls the system under a TDS attack. Also, the time-delay estimator will track time delays introduced by a hacker using a modified model reference-based control with an indirect supervisor and a modified least mean square (LMS) minimization technique. Furthermore, here, the demonstration proves that the cryptographic solutions are ineffective in the recovery from TDS attacks. A cryptography-free TDS recovery (CF-TDSR) communication protocol enhancement is introduced to leverage the adaptive channel redundancy techniques, along with a novel state estimator to detect and assist in the recovery of the destabilizing effects of TDS attacks. The conclusion shows how the CF-TDSR ensures the control stability of linear time invariant systems

Cumulative reports and publications through December 31, 1989

A complete list of reports from the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE) is presented. The major categories of the current ICASE research program are: numerical methods, with particular emphasis on the development and analysis of basic numerical algorithms; control and parameter identification problems, with emphasis on effectual numerical methods; computational problems in engineering and the physical sciences, particularly fluid dynamics, acoustics, structural analysis, and chemistry; computer systems and software, especially vector and parallel computers, microcomputers, and data management. Since ICASE reports are intended to be preprints of articles that will appear in journals or conference proceedings, the published reference is included when it is available

Cumulative reports and publications

A complete list of Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE) reports are listed. Since ICASE reports are intended to be preprints of articles that will appear in journals or conference proceedings, the published reference is included when it is available. The major categories of the current ICASE research program are: applied and numerical mathematics, including numerical analysis and algorithm development; theoretical and computational research in fluid mechanics in selected areas of interest to LaRC, including acoustics and combustion; experimental research in transition and turbulence and aerodynamics involving LaRC facilities and scientists; and computer science

Research summary, January 1989 - June 1990

The Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) was established at NASA ARC in June of 1983. RIACS is privately operated by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), a consortium of 62 universities with graduate programs in the aerospace sciences, under a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. RIACS serves as the representative of the USRA universities at ARC. This document reports our activities and accomplishments for the period 1 Jan. 1989 - 30 Jun. 1990. The following topics are covered: learning systems, networked systems, and parallel systems