Safe and High-Performance Control Allocation
Ricardo de Castro
Abstract
This article focuses on the control of nonlinear systems with redundant actuation, where the number of actuators is higher than the number of controllable degrees of freedom. To effectively handle actuation redundancy, we propose a control allocation (CA) approach that combines numerical optimization methods with control Lyapunov and control barrier functions. The inclusion of control Lyapunov functions enhances the CA’s ability to minimize performance loss in the presence of unattainable virtual inputs. The integration of barrier functions allows the CA to exploit actuation redundancy to enforce safety constraints. The proposed approach is applied to the control of an overactuated system, demonstrating superior transient and safety properties when compared to classical CA algorithms.