Distributed Adaptive Neural Fixed-Time Tracking Control of Multiple Uncertain Mechanical Systems With Actuation Dead Zones

This article is mainly concerned with the fixed-time tracking control problem for multiple uncertain mechanical systems with actuation dead zones. As the dead zones and control gains are time varying and completely unknown, the control impact on mechanical system becomes completely unknown, making the achievement of fixed-time tracking control nontrivial. The existing studies on fixed-time tracking control cannot effectively estimate and compensate such dead zones, resulting in the upper bound of convergence time being uncertain and even system becoming unstable. To compensate the dead zones in a fixed time, we introduce a bound estimation method to estimate the impact of dead zones and design two fixed-time adaptive laws. Two cases on system uncertainties are considered. By introducing distributed control method, adaptive control method, neural networks and some skillful treatments, two novel distributed adaptive neural fixed-time tracking control schemes are proposed. It is confirmed that, with the proposed control schemes, all followers which are uncertain mechanical systems with completely unknown dead zones track the leader with sufficient precision in a predefined time.