Decoupling MIMO systems with multiple input/output time delays

Decoupling multi-input multi-output systems is a simplifying technique to design, implement and tune control systems. If there are also multiple delays, the decoupling is even more interesting although there is always a prize to pay and the resulting controllers can become excessively complex. In this paper a new approach to deal with these situations is presented. The procedure involves extracting non-delayed information to generate the control and canceling the interactions by means of disturbance observers. The approach is general and it can be applied to unstable plants.