Adaptive backstepping sliding mode control for feedforward uncertain systems

Output tracking backstepping sliding mode control for feedforward uncertain systems is considered in this article. Feedforward systems are not usually transformable to the parametric semi-strict feedback form, and they may include unmatched uncertainties consisting of disturbances and unmodelled dynamics terms. The backstepping method presented in this article, even without uncertainties differs from that of Ríos-Bolívar and Zinober [Ríos-Bolívar, M. and Zinober, A.S.I. (1999), ‘Dynamical Adaptive Sliding Mode Control of Observable Minimum Phase Uncertain Nonlinear Systems’, in Variable Structure Systems: Variable Structure Systems, Sliding Mode and Nonlinear Control, eds., K.D. Young and Ü. Özgüner. Ozguner, London, Springer-Verlag, pp. 211–236; Ríos-Bolívar, M., and Zinober, A.S.I. (1997a), ‘Dynamical Adaptive Backstepping Control Design via Symbolic Computation’, in Proceedings of the 3rd European Control Conference, Brussels]. In this article, the backstepping is not a dynamical method as in Ríos-Bolívar and Zinober (1997a, 1999), since at each step, the control and map input remain intact, and the differentiations of the control are not used. Therefore, the method can be introduced as static backstepping. Two different controllers are designed based upon the backstepping approach with and without sliding mode. The dynamic and static backstepping methods are applied to a gravity-flow/pipeline system to compare two methods.