Geometric conditions for local controllability (Q811462)

C\({}^ 1\) affine control systems, with a generic drift vector field X and n-1 linearly independent input vector fields on an n-dimensional connected \(C^ 1\) manifold are considered. Local controllability of such systems is investigated and a geometric approach is proposed: the relative geometry of the drift vector field and the input vector fields is studied. Let H denote the set of points p where X(p) belongs to the hyperplane l(p) spanned by the input vector fields at the given point. It is shown that one has small time local controllability at p if the absolute values of the components of X, in the basis defined by the input vector fields, are less than or equal to the bounds on the controls at p and the hyperplane l(p) is not tangent to H. At the points of tangency, if the input vector fields generate an involutive distribution, it is shown that small time local controllability depends on the type of contact of H with l. An example is given where the proposed sufficient condition is useful whereas previously known sufficient conditions were not applicable.