Constraints on Nonlinear Finite Dimensional Flat Systems

Abstract: This chapter presents an approach to embed the input/state/output constraints in a unified manner into the trajectory design for differentially flat systems. To that purpose, we specialize the flat outputs (or the reference trajectories) as Bezier curves. Using the flatness property, the system's inputs/states can be expressed as a combination of Bezier curved flat outputs and their derivatives. Consequently, we explicitly obtain the expressions of the control points of the inputs/states Bezier curves as a combination of the control points of the flat outputs. By applying desired constraints to the latter control points, we find the feasible regions for the output Bezier control points i.e. a set of feasible reference trajectories.