Controller design of nonlinear system for fully trackable and partially trackable paths by combining ZD and GD

Zhang dynamics (ZD), which is based on an indefinite error-monitoring function called Zhangian, is a powerful type of dynamics for online time-varying problems solving. Besides, gradient dynamics (GD), which was originally designed to solve constant problems, can be generalized for online time-varying problems solving. In this paper, the tracking-control problem of a general nonlinear system with fully trackable and partially trackable paths is presented and investigated. Then, by combining ZD and the generalized GD, an innovative method called ZD-GD method is proposed to solve this tracking-control problem. Simulation results on the nonlinear system further substantiate the feasibility and superiority of the combined ZD-GD method for both fully trackable and partially trackable paths.