Compensation of Time-Varying Input and State Delays for Nonlinear Systems

We consider general nonlinear systems with time-varying input and state delays for which we design predictor-based feedback controllers. Based on a time-varying infinitedimensional backstepping transformation that we introduce, our controller achieves global asymptotic stability in the presence of a time-varying input delay, which is proved with the aid of a strict Lyapunov function that we construct. Then, we “backstep” one time-varying integrator and we design a globally stabilizing controller for nonlinear strict-feedback systems with time-varying delays on the virtual inputs. The main challenge in this case is the construction of the backstepping transformations since the predictors for different states use different prediction windows. Our designs are illustrated by three numerical examples, including unicycle stabilization. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4005278]