While the stability theory for systems with bilateral constraints is a well-established field, this monograph represents a systematic study of mechanical systems with unilateral constraints, such as unilateral contact, impact and friction. Such unilateral constraints give rise to non-smooth dynamical models for which stability theory is developed in this work. The book will be of interest to those working in the field of non-smooth mechanics and dynamics.

The problem of asymptotic regulation of the output of a dynamical system plays a central role in control theory. An important variant of this problem is the output regulation problem, which can be used in such areas as set-point control, tracking reference signals and rejecting disturbances generated by an external system, controlled synchronization of dynamical systems, and observer design for autonomous systems. This book is one of the first systematic studies on the nonlinear output regulation problem that embraces both the local and global solvability analysis, covering such aspects as solvability conditions, controller design, and practical implementation issues.

The book opens with the development of the mathematical apparatus of convergent systemsa "very useful for studying nonlinear control systemsa "laying the foundation for most of the results presented in the work. The study then proceeds to a new problem statementa "the so-called uniform output regulation problem. A comprehensive solvability analysis of this problem is provided in the next part of the work. Based on the solvability analysis, constructive controller design methods for the global uniform output regulation problem are presented for various classes of nonlinear systems.

In an attempt to bridge the gap between theory and practice, the authors conclude with a presentation of an experimental case study. The experimenta "one of the first in the field of nonlinear output regulationa "deals with control of a translational oscillator with a rotational actuator, illustrating the applicability of the nonlinear output regulation theory in experiments and raising a number of questions to be addressed in futureresearch.

The scope of questions addressed in the book, the uniformity of their treatment, the novelty of the proposed approach, and the obtained results make this volume unique with respect to other works on the problem of nonlinear output regulation. In addition to being an excellent reference for the uniform output regulation problem, the book has a tutorial value on convergent systems. The work will be of interest to control engineers, theorists, and students, and may be used as a textbook for a graduate course on nonlinear control.

This treatment of modern topics related to the control of nonlinear systems is a collection of contributions celebrating the work of Professor Henk Nijmeijer and honoring his 60th birthday. It addresses several topics that have been the core of Professor Nijmeijer's work, namely: the control of nonlinear systems, geometric control theory, synchronization, coordinated control, convergent systems and the control of underactuated systems. The book presents recent advances in these areas, contributed by leading international researchers in systems and control. In addition to the theoretical questions treated in the text, particular attention is paid to a number of applications including (mobile) robotics, marine vehicles, neural dynamics and mechanical systems generally. This volume provides a broad picture of the analysis and control of nonlinear systems for scientists and engineers with an interest in the interdisciplinary field of systems and control theory. The reader will benefit from the expert participants' ideas on important open problems with contributions that represent the state of the art in nonlinear control.

While the stability theory for systems with bilateral constraints is a well-established field, this monograph represents a systematic study of mechanical systems with unilateral constraints, such as unilateral contact, impact and friction. Such unilateral constraints give rise to non-smooth dynamical models for which stability theory is developed in this work. The book will be of interest to those working in the field of non-smooth mechanics and dynamics.