CONTROL OF NONHOLONOMIC SYSTEMS VIA DYNAMIC COMPENSATION

The problem of controlling nonholonomic systems via dynamic state feed back and its structural aspects are analyzed. Advantages and drawbacks with respect to the use of static state feedback laws are discussed. In particular, nonholonomic constraints are shown to yield possible si ngularities in the dynamic extension process. Nevertheless, these sing ularities can be avoided by the proper design of a discontinuous exter nal control law achieving stabilization of the transformed linear syst em. This is illustrated through simulations for a unicycle.