Lyapunov-based control of mechanical systems (Q1576620)

This book describes how Lyapunov-based techniques can be used to design nonlinear controllers for mechanical systems. The book is divided into two parts, and four appendices are provided for reader's convenience. In the first part, the authors describe solutions to some tracking problems for rigid mechanical systems, while the second part addresses set point-vibration control of systems modeled by partial differential equations. Experimental results are reported for almost every controller to illustrate the feasibility of theoretical concepts. The book contains the following chapters: Introduction; Control techniques for friction compensation; Full-state feedback tracking controllers; output feedback tracking controllers; Strings and cables. Cantilever beams; Boundary control applications. All of the material contained in this book has resulted from the authors' research over the last seven years. The text is well written, easy to read, and many examples clarify the theoretical discussions. The book can be useful both to newcomers in the field and to graduate students and researchers in the area of control applications.