The dynamic behavior of underwater robotic vehicles can be greatly influenced by the nonlinear dynamics of the vehicle thrusters. In this way, the implementation of a good control strategy for the thruster subsystem is essential for the accurate control of the entire robotic vehicle. It was already shown in the literature that without compensation for thruster dynamics the closed-loop positioni...

Micro air vehicles have emerged as a popular option for diverse robotic and teleoperated applications in both open terrain and urban environments because of their inherent stealth and portability. To perform many of the tasks envisioned for micro air vehicles, agility is essential. To date, research efforts to improve agility have focused primarily on constructing complex controllers to enable ...

Accurate descending control is crucial to ensure safe operation of space exploration vehicles. This work investigates automatic trajectory tracking control of space vehicles during landing phase. A set of algorithms for adjusting vehicle heading angle, heading speed and altitude are derived using adaptive robust and neural network control techniques. It is shown that with the proposed control a...

This paper presents experimental results, analytical findings, and simulation evaluations pertaining to the longitudinal dynamics and headway performance of strings of vehicles with and without adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems. It focuses on the amplification of speed disturbances along a string of vehicles, i.e., the stability of string behavior. The work describes measurement, analysis, ...

This work investigates the dynamics of heavy articulated vehicles and the problem of yawinstability caused by loss of traction. A mathematical model of the system is derived and applied to a typical vehicle used in mine haulage applications. Automatic control, based on differential wheel braking, is explored by simulation and shown to be potentially valuable in improving the safety of such vehi...

Title of dissertation: Dynamics and Control of Non-Smooth Systems with Applications to Supercavitating Vehicles Vincent Nguyen, Doctor of Philosophy, 2011 Dissertation directed by: Professor Balakumar Balachandran Department of Mechanical Engineering The subject matter of this dissertation relates to the dynamics of non-smooth vehicle systems, and in particular, supercavitating vehicles. These ...