This thesis extends the use of neural-network-based model reference adaptive control to systems that occur as cascades. In general, these systems are not feedback linearizable. The approach taken is that of approximate feedback linearization of upper subsystems whilst treating the lower-subsystem states as virtual actuators. Similarly, lower-subsystems are also feedback linearized. Typically, approximate inverses are used for linearization purposes. Model error arising from the use of an approximate inverse is minimized using a neural-network as an adaptive element. Incorrect adaptation due to (virtual) actuator saturation and dynamics is avoided using the Pseudocontrol Hedging method. Using linear approximate inverses and linear reference models generally result in large desired pseudocontrol for large external commands. Even if the provided external command is feasible (null-controllable), there is no guarantee that the reference model trajectory is feasible. In order to mitigate this, nonlinear reference models based on nested-saturation methods are used to constrain the evolution of the reference model and thus the plant states. The method presented in this thesis lends itself to the inner-outer loop control of air vehicles, where the inner-loop controls attitude dynamics and the outer-loop controls the translational dynamics of the vehicle. The outer-loop treats the closed loop attitude dynamics as an actuator. Adaptation to uncertainty in the attitude, as well as the translational dynamics, is introduced, thus minimizing the effects of model error in all six degrees of freedom and leading to more accurate position tracking. A pole-placement approach is used to choose compensator gains for the tracking error dynamics. This alleviates timescale separation requirements, allowing the outer loop bandwidth to be closer to that of the inner loop, thus increasing position tracking performance. A poor model of the attitude dynamics and a basic kinematics model is shown to be sufficient for accurate position tracking. In particular, the inner-outer loop method was used to control an unmanned helicopter and has subsequently been applied to a ducted-fan, a fixed-wing aircraft that transitions in and out of hover, and a full-scale rotorcraft. Experimental flight test results are also provided for a subset of these vehicles.

abstract: Toward the ambitious long-term goal of a fleet of cooperating Flexible Autonomous Machines operating in an uncertain Environment (FAME), this thesis addresses several critical modeling, design and control objectives for ground vehicles. One central objective was to show how off-the-shelf (low-cost) remote-control (RC) “toy” vehicles can be converted into intelligent multi-capability robotic-platforms for conducting FAME research. This is shown for two vehicle classes: (1) six differential-drive (DD) RC vehicles called Thunder Tumbler (DDTT) and (2) one rear-wheel drive (RWD) RC car called Ford F-150 (1:14 scale). Each DDTT-vehicle was augmented to provide a substantive suite of capabilities as summarized below (It should be noted, however, that only one DDTT-vehicle was augmented with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and 2.4 GHz RC capability): (1) magnetic wheel-encoders/IMU for(dead-reckoning-based) inner-loop speed-control and outer-loop position-directional-control, (2) Arduino Uno microcontroller-board for encoder-based inner-loop speed-control and encoder-IMU-ultrasound-based outer-loop cruise-position-directional-separation-control, (3) Arduino motor-shield for inner-loop motor-speed-control, (4)Raspberry Pi II computer-board for demanding outer-loop vision-based cruise- position-directional-control, (5) Raspberry Pi 5MP camera for outer-loop cruise-position-directional-control (exploiting WiFi to send video back to laptop), (6) forward-pointing ultrasonic distance/rangefinder sensor for outer-loop separation-control, and (7) 2.4 GHz spread-spectrum RC capability to replace original 27/49 MHz RC. Each “enhanced”/ augmented DDTT-vehicle costs less than 􀀀175 but offers the capability of commercially available vehicles costing over 􀀀500. Both the Arduino and Raspberry are low-cost, well-supported (software wise) and easy-to-use. For the vehicle classes considered (i.e. DD, RWD), both kinematic and dynamical (planar xy) models are examined. Suitable nonlinear/linear-models are used to develop inner/outer-loopcontrol laws. All demonstrations presented involve enhanced DDTT-vehicles; one the F-150; one a quadrotor. The following summarizes key hardware demonstrations: (1) cruise-control along line, (2) position-control along line (3) position-control along curve (4) planar (xy) Cartesian stabilization, (5) cruise-control along jagged line/curve, (6) vehicle-target spacing-control, (7) multi-robot spacing-control along line/curve, (8) tracking slowly-moving remote-controlled quadrotor, (9) avoiding obstacle while moving toward target, (10) RC F-150 followed by DDTT-vehicle. Hardware data/video is compared with, and corroborated by, model-based simulations. In short, many capabilities that are critical for reaching the longer-term FAME goal are demonstrated. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Electrical Engineering 2015