Follow the Bouncing Ball: Global Results on Tracking and State Estimation With Impacts

In this paper, we formulate tracking and state-estimation problems of a translating mass in a polyhedral billiard as a stabilization problem for a suitable set. Due to the discontinuous trajectories arising from the impacts, we use hybrid systems stability analysis tools to establish the results. Using a novel concept of mirrored images of the target mass we prove that 1) a tracking control algorithm, and 2) an observer algorithm guarantee global exponential stability results for specific classes of polyhedral billiards, including rectangles. Moreover, we combine these two algorithms within dynamic controllers that guarantee global output feedback tracking. The results are illustrated via simulations.