A kinematic versus dynamic observer approach to coordination control in terms of estimation principles and practical performance

This paper presents a comparison between a kinematic observer approach and a dynamic observer approach for leader-follower synchronization control of mechanical systems formulated in the Euler-Lagrange framework. The kinematic observer utilizes a virtual system that is designed to mimic the kinematic behaviour of the leader in order to estimate the state vector with a minimum of information available. The dynamic observer is based on utilizing the full dynamic model of the system when estimating the state vector. The two observers are compared in terms of estimation principles and practical performance for the particular case of an underway replenishment operation for surface ships.