How to Improve Robust Control of a Linear Time-Varying System by Using Experimental Data

This paper demonstrates that robust control based on only a priori information about the object’s uncertainty can be significantly improved through the additional use of experimental data. Generalized H_∞-optimal controllers are designed for an unknown linear time-varying system on a finite horizon. These controllers optimize the damping level of exogenous and/or initial disturbances as well as the maximum deviation of the terminal state of the system. The design method does not require the persistent excitation condition or the rank condition, which ensure the identifiability of the system. As a result, the amount of experimental data can be significantly reduced.