Orbital feedback linearization for multi‐input control systems

Abstract

SummaryA nonlinear control system is said to be orbital feedback linearizable if there exist an invertible static feedback and a change of time scale (depending on the state) which transform the system into a linear system. We give geometric necessary and sufficient conditions describing multi‐input control‐affine systems that are orbital feedback linearizable out of equilibria and in the case of equal controllability indices. We also describe a construction of the time rescaling needed to orbitally linearize the system. Moreover, we analyze close relations between orbital feedback linearizable control‐affine systems and control‐linear systems that are feedback equivalent to a multi‐chained form comparing geometric structures corresponding to both problems. We illustrate our results by two examples, one being a rigid bar moving in double-struckR3.Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.