Extremum Seeking Approach for Nonholonomic Systems with Multiple Time Scale Dynamics

Abstract: In this paper, a class of nonlinear driftless control-affine systems satisfying the bracket generating condition is considered. A gradient-free optimization algorithm is developed for the minimization of a cost function along the trajectories of the controlled system. The algorithm comprises an approximation scheme with fast oscillating controls for the nonholonomic dynamics and a model-free extremum seeking component with respect to the output measurements. Exponential convergence of the trajectories to an arbitrary neighborhood of the optimal point is established under suitable assumptions on time scale parameters of the extended system. The proposed algorithm is tested numerically with the Brockett integrator for different choices of generating functions.