Prescribed performance control of uncertain higher-order nonlinear systems in the presence of delays

Abstract: We propose a novel feedback controller for a class of uncertain higher-order nonlinear systems, subject to delays in both state measurement and control input signals. Building on the prescribed performance control framework, a delay-dependent performance correction mechanism is introduced to ensure the boundedness of all signals in the closed-loop and to keep the output tracking error strictly within a dynamically adjusted performance envelope. This mechanism adapts in response to large delays that may cause performance degradation. In the absence of delays, the correction term vanishes, and the controller recovers the nominal (user-defined) performance envelope. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated through simulation studies.