Iterative output replanning for flat systems affected by additive noise

The paper considers the output tracking problem for nonlinear systems whose performance output is also a flat output of the system itself. A desired output signal is sought on the actual performance output by using a feedforward inverse input that is periodically updated with discrete-time feedback of the sampled state of the system. The proposed method is based on an iterative output replanning that uses the desired output trajectory and the sampled state to replan an output trajectory whose inverse input helps in reducing the tracking error. This iterative replanning exploits the Hermite interpolating polynomials to achieve an overall arbitrarily smooth input and a tracking error that can be made arbitrarily small if the state sampling period is sufficiently small and mild assumptions are considered. Some simulation results are presented for the cases of an unicycle and a one-trailer system affected by additive noise.