Robust adaptive output feedback control of nonlinear systems without persistence of excitation (Q1129712)

This paper considers a recently developed method for adaptive output feedback control of nonlinear systems, and extends previous work by one of the authors (Khalil). The method deals with a single-input-single-output minimum phase nonlinear system represented by an \(n\)th order differential equation. In a previous paper, Khalil presented a Lyapunov-based design that uses parameter projection, control saturation, and a high gain observer to achieve semi-global tracking. One draw back of the previous result is that tracking error convergence is demonstrated under a persistence of excitation condition, an unusual restriction in traditional adaptive control theory. This paper improves on that previous result by proving tracking error convergence without persistence of excitation. The authors also provide two other extensions to the previous results: the adaptive controller is robust with respect to a sufficiently small bounded disturbance, and -- by adding a robustifying control component - the controller is robust for a wide class of bounded disturbances provided an upper bound on the disturbance is known.