On global properties of passivity-based control of an inverted pendulum

The paper adresses the problem of stabilization of a specific target positi on of underactuated Lagrangian or Hamiltonian systems, We propose to solve the problem in two steps: first to stabilize a set with the target position being a limit point for all trajectories originating in this set and then to switch to a locally stabilizing controller. We illustrate this approach by the well-known example of inverted pendulum on a cart. Particularly, we design a controller which makes the upright position of the pendulum and ze ro displacement of the cart a limit point for almost all trajectories. We d erive a family of static feedbacks such that any solution of the closed loo p system except for those originating on some two-dimensional manifold appr oaches an arbitrarily small neighbourhood of the target position. The propo sed technique is based on the passivity properties of the inverted pendulum . A possible extension to a more general class of underactuated mechanical systems is discussed. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.