Constrained Reference Tracking based on Homothetic Sets

In this paper, we consider the problem of constrained tracking of piecewise constant references for nonlinear dynamical systems. In the considered problem we assume that an existing controller satisfies constraints in a corresponding positive-invariant set of the system. To solve the problem we propose the use of homothetic transformations of the positive-invariant set to modify the existing control law. The proposed approach can be implemented as a tracking model predictive control or as a reference governor. Simulation and experimental results are provided, showing the applicability of the proposed approach to a class of nonlinear systems.