Fuzzy Variable Structure Control for Autonomous Orientation of Hovercraft Systems

This paper is concerned with the control of a hovercraft vessel using a fuzzy variable structure control theory. Firstly, we introduce the R/C hovercraft type vessel dynamics. Secondly, the fuzzy variable structure control (FVSC) is proposed in this paper. A significant feature is that the transient response during the reaching phase has been remarkably improved by the proposed control. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we choose the R/C hovercraft vessel as the experimental system. Simulation results showed good responses to any initial conditions.