An alternative paradigm for control system design

An alternative framework for control design is presented in this paper. It compliments the existing theory in that: 1) it actively and systematically explores the use of nonlinear control mechanisms for better performance, even for linear plants; 2) it represents a control strategy that is rather independent of mathematical models of the plants, thus achieving inherent robustness and reducing design complexity. An overview of this design philosophy and associated algorithms are first introduced, followed by the summaries of preliminary analysis results and practical applications. It is evident that the proposed framework lends itself well in providing innovative solutions to practical problems while maintaining the simplicity and the intuitiveness of the existing technology, namely PID.