Lyapunov design of global state and output feedback trackers for non-holonomic control systems

In this paper, new results are obtained for the global tracking of a class of non-holonomic dynamic systems via state and output feedback. The tracking controllers are systematically constructed on the basis of a recursive technique and a full exploitation of the system structure. When disturbances occur in a non-holonomic chained system, it is shown how to modify the controller design procedure to yield robust tracking control laws. The proposed method is demonstrated and discussed by means of a benchmark non-holonomic knife-edge mechanical system.