Homework 5
ECE 6552: Nonlinear Systems and Control — Spring 2025
Matthew Hale
Due on April 18th, 2025 by 11:59pm on Canvas.
1
A variation to the VTOL aircraft model is
ẋ = − sin(θ)u1 + ϵ cos(θ)u2
ẏ = cos(θ)u1 + ϵ sin(θ)u2
θ̇ = u2 ,
where ϵ ̸= 0 is a constant. Is this model locally controllable about any given point (x0 , y0 , θ0 )?
2
We have seen that the unicycle model
ẋ1 = u1 cos x3
ẋ2 = u1 sin x3
ẋ3 = u2
can be easily controlled if we pick the states (p1 , p2 ) with
p1 = x1 + ℓ cos x3
p2 = x2 + ℓ sin x3
for some ℓ > 0, which we control according to
ṗ1 = v1
ṗ2 = v2 ,
where v1 and v2 are inputs that we choose. This idea is implemented by giving the unicycle system the
inputs
u1 1 0 v1
= R(−x3 ) ,
u2 0 1ℓ v2
where R is a rotation matrix.
Suppose that we instead choose the states
p1 = x1 − ℓ sin x3
p2 = x2 + ℓ cos x3 .
Is this a good choice? Why or why not?
3
The classic Ball and Beam model (in which a ball is rolling on a beam and the beam can pivot around its
midpoint) is given by
r̈ = rθ̇2 − g sin θ
τ = M r2 + J θ̈ + 2M rṙθ̇ + M gr cos θ,
1
where r is the distance from the ball to the pivot point, θ is the angle of the beam, g is the force due to
gravity, M is the mass of the ball, J is the moment of inertia of the beam, and τ is the torque applied to
the beam.
Suppose that the torque is given by
τ = M r2 + J u + 2M rṙθ̇ + M gr cos θ,
for some new control input u.
a
Write down a state space formulation of the Ball and Beam model.
b
What is the relative degree of the system if y = r?
c
What are the zero dynamics if y = r?
4
Consider the system
k
X
ẋ = f (x) + gi (x)ui
i=1
y1 = h1 (x)
..
.
yk = hk (x),
where f, g1 , . . . , gk are vector fields, u1 , . . . , uk ∈ R are inputs, and y1 , . . . , yk ∈ R are outputs.
The multi-input multi-output (MIMO) relative degree of the system is a vector
ρ1
ρ = ... ,
ρk
where ρi is the relative degree associated with output i, defined as the number of derivatives of yi that must
be computed until any input explicitly appears.
Find the MIMO relative degree for the system
ẋ1 = u1 cos x3
ẋ2 = u1 sin x3
ẋ3 = u2
y1 = x1
y2 = x2 .
2
5
Let
k
X
ẋ = f (x) + gi (x)ui ,
i=1
where f, g1 , . . . , gk are vector fields. We can think of this system as having another input u0 that is equal
to 1 at all times, i.e., u0 (t) = 1 for all t ≥ 0. This perspective lets us write the system as
k
X
ẋ = gi (x)ui ,
i=0
where g0 = f .
a
Define the distribution
∆ = span{f, g1 , . . . , gk },
¯ be its involutive closure. Explain why the following sufficient condition for controllability is false
and let ∆
here:
¯ 0 )) = n, then the given system is locally controllable at x0 .
If dim(∆(x
b
Instead, give a correct sufficient condition for local controllability, and motivate your answer (don’t just state
a condition with no explanation).
6
The CIOS evaluation survey for this course is is located at [Link] How many
questions are there on this survey?
