Offline model predictive control-based gain scheduling for networked control systems [Brief Paper]

A control structure is investigated where the sensor is remotely located from the plant through the communication network, motivated by the inclusion of sensor fusion in networked control systems (NSCs). This control structure admits a broad class of practical NSCs but has rarely been touched before. Motivated by the packet-based control approach, the authors propose an offline model predictive control-based gain scheduling scheme for this control structure. This scheme is capable of actively compensating for the communication constraints, which is an impossible task for conventional control approaches, and at the same time it dramatically reduces the communication and computational costs compared with the packet-based control approach. In this sense, this scheme can be regarded as an important step towards the effective convergence of control, communication and computation.