Robust Control

1 Parametric Plants and Controllers.- 1.1 State Space Model, Linearization, Eigenvalues.- 1.2 The Leverrier-Faddejew Algorithm.- 1.3 Transfer Function.- 1.4 Robust Controllability, Observability, Feedback Structures.- 1.5 Output Feedback, Closed-loop Characteristic Polynomial.- 1.6 Hurwitz-stability, Stabilizing Controller Parameters.- 1.7 Controller Structures for Partially Known Inputs.- 2 Hurwitz-stability Boundary Crossing and Parameter Space Approach.- 2.1 Critical Stability Conditions.- 2.2 The Parameter Space Approach.- 2.3 Pole Placement.- 2.4 Sequential Pole Shifting.- 2.5 Singular Frequencies.- 2.6 Hurwitz-stability Regions for PID-controllers.- 2.7 Hurwitz-stability Regions for a Compensator or Plant Subpolynomial.- 3 Eigenvalue Specifications.- 3.1 Poles, Zeros and Step Responses.- 3.2 Root Sets, Gamma-stability.- 3.3 Physical Meaning of Closed-loop Poles.- 3.4 Remarks on Existence of Robust Controllers.- 3.5 Further Potential of the Parameter Space Approach.- 4 Gamma-boundary Mapping into Parameter Space.- 4.1 Algebraic Problem Formulation.- 4.2 Parameter Space Mapping.- 4.3 Generalized Singular Frequencies.- 4.4 Gamma-stable PID-control.- 4.5 Non-linear Coefficient Functions.- 5 Frequency Domain Analysis and Design.- 5.1 Frequency Loci Specifications (Theta-stability).- 5.2 Mapping of Frequency Loci Margins into Parameter Space.- 5.3 Frequency Response Magnitude Specifications (Beta-stability).- 5.4 Mapping of Frequency Response Magnitude Specifications into Parameter Space.- 5.5 MIMO Systems.- 6 Case Studies in Car Steering.- 6.1 Tires, Braking, and Steering.- 6.2 The Two Steering Tasks.- 6.3 The Non-linear Single-track Model and its Robust Unilateral Decoupling.- 6.4 The Linearized Single-track Model.- 6.5 Linear Analysis of Robust Decoupling.- 6.6 Skidding Avoidance Based on Robust Decoupling.- 6.7 Skidding Avoidance Based on the Disturbance Observer.- 6.8 Rollover Avoidance.- 6.9 Patents.- 6.10 Automatic Car Steering.- 7 Case Studies in Flight

Jürgen Ackermann studied Control Engineering under the guidance of Prof. Oppelt in Darmstadt, and Control Theory under the guidance of Prof. Jury in Berkeley, California. He is well known for his contributions to the theory of control systems, as treated in his books on sampled-data [7] and robust control systems [10]. Perhaps his best known result is Ackermann´s formula for pole placement [38].

J. Ackermann has a long association with DLR, the German Aerospace Center in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, where he was director of the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics from 1974 to his retirement in 2001. He has attracted to the institute and supported such well known members of the international control and dynamics community as G. Hirzinger, W. Kortüm, G. Grübel, R. Schwertassek, K. Well (now Stuttgart) and G. Kreisselmeier (now Kassel). Together with them he has initiated and guided many applied research projects which include robust autopilots and jet engine control systems for aircraft; trajectory optimization of aircraft, missiles and spacecraft; control of large flexible structures; robotics for space and manufacturing application, modelling and control of trains, maglev vehicles and automobiles.

He has developed a general theory of robust control for steering of vehicles. It is based on robust triangular decoupling of steering of a point mass along a desired trajectory and automatic control of undesired vehicle rotations. J. Ackermann holds six patents for robust feedback control strategies to increase the safety of car driving [1-6]. He initiated an experimental program with BMW, which has shown spectacular safety advantages in road tests with side-wind and mu-split braking [110]. The concept was transferred to flight control [146] where it resulted in a remarkable weight reduction. In both cases the advantages resulted from the fact, that an automatic control system can compensate strong disturbance torques faster than the driver orpilot.

From the reviews of the second edition:

This is the second edition of the previously published text Robust Control which appeared in 1993. The new edition represents a total revision of the previous text, resulting in a book that is easily readable and well organized. A large number of real world examples and a step by step introduction of the material make the text easily accessible. The more than 300 figures and the many discussed applications give the book a very intuitive and graphics oriented flavor.

In summary, this book takes a refreshingly different look at the problem of robust control than most other texts. It provides an easy to follow coverage of the material and is largely self-contained. This book should be of significant interest to the automatic control community, and it is especially valuable for the practicing control engineer.

IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 50 (2005) 1229 - 1230 (Reviewer: Peter Bauer)

"This monograph addresses the problem of robust control ... . The text presents several interesting case studies that illustrate the presented methods ... . A large number of real world examples and a step by step introduction of the material make the text easily accessible. The more than 300 figures and the many discussed applications give the book a very intuitive and graphics oriented flavor. ... this book takes a refreshingly different look at the problem of robust control than most other texts." (Peter Bauer, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 50 (8), August, 2005)