Recent advancements in Lyapunov-based design and analysis techniques have applications to a broad class of engineering systems, including mechanical, electrical, robotic, aerospace, and underactuated systems. This book provides a practical yet rigorous development of nonlinear, Lyapunov-based tools and their use in the solution of control-theoretic problems. Rich in motivating examples and new design techniques, the text balances theoretical foundations and real-world implementation.

Features include:

* Control designs for a broad class of engineering systems

* Presentation of adaptive and learning control methods for uncertain nonlinear systems

* Experimental testbed descriptions and results that guide the reader toward techniques for further research

* Development of necessary mathematical background in each chapter; additional mathematical prerequisites contained in two appendices

Intended for readers who have some knowledge of undergraduate systems theory, the book includes a wide range of applications making it suitable for an extensive audience. Graduate students and researchers in control systems, robotics, and applied mathematics, as well as professional engineers will appreciate the work s combination of theoretical underpinnings and current and emerging engineering applications."

This practical yet rigorous book provides a development of nonlinear, Lyapunov-based tools and their use in the solution of control-theoretic problems. Rich in motivating examples and new design techniques, the text balances theoretical foundations and real-world implementation.

This book examines the control problem for wheeled mobile robots. Several novel control strategies are developed and the stability of each controller is examined utilizing Lyapunov techniques. The performance of each controller is either illustrated through simulation results or experimental results. The final chapter describes how the control techniques developed for wheeled mobile robots can be applied to solve other problems with similar governing differential equations (e.g., twin rotor helicopters, surface vessels). Several appendices are included to provide the reader with the mathematical background utilized in the control development and stability analysis. Two appendices are also included that provide specific details with regard to the modifications that were done to commercially available mobile robots (e.g., a K2A manufactured by Cybermotion Inc. and a Pioneer II manufactured by Activemedia) to experimentally demonstrate the performance of the torque input controllers.