A unifying framework for global regulation via nonlinear output feedback

This paper presents a unifying framework for the problem of robust global regulation via output feedback for nonlinear systems with integral input-to-state stable (iISS) inverse dynamics, subject to possibly unknown control direction. The contribution of the paper is two-fold. Firstly, we consider the problem of global regulation, instead of global asymptotic stabilization (GAS), for systems with generalized dynamic uncertainties. It is shown by an elementary example that GAS is not solvable using conventional smooth output feedback. Secondly, we reduce the stability requirements for the disturbance and demand relaxed assumptions for the system. Using our framework, most of the known classes of output feedback form systems are broadened in several directions: unmeasured states and unknown parameters can appear non-linearly, restrictive matching and growth assumptions are removed, the dynamic uncertainty satisfies the weaker condition of Sontag's integral input-to-state stability, and the sign of high-frequency gain may be unknown. A constructive strategy is proposed to design a dynamic output feedback control law, that drives the state to the origin while keeping all other closed-loop signals bounded.