Adaptive Control of Dubins Vehicle in the Presence of Loss of Effectiveness

The control of a Dubins Vehicle when subjected to a loss of control effectiveness in the turning rate is considered. A complex state-space representation is used to model the vehicle dynamics. An adaptive control design is proposed, with the underlying stability analysis guaranteeing closed-loop boundedness and tracking of a desired path. It is shown that a path constructed by waypoints and a minimum turn radius can be specified using a reference model which can be followed by the closed loop system. The control design utilizes the complex state-space representation as well as a PID controller for the nominal closed-loop. How the design can be modified to ensure path following even in the presence input constraints is also discussed. Simulation studies are carried out to complement the theoretical derivations.