Control and Dynamic Systems: Advances in Theory and Applications, Volume 34: Advances in Control Mechanics, Part 1 of 2 presents the fundamental aspects of mechanical systems control theory. This book deals with microburst, a severe meteorological condition significant to aircraft control. Organized into seven chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the problem of stable control of an aircraft subjected to windshear caused by microburst. This text then examines the results concerning control of an aircraft under windshear conditions. Other chapters consider the robust control problem using the variable structure control method. This book discusses as well the problem of finding zeros of a nonlinear vector function by using methods of dynamical systems analysis. The final chapter deals with the role of singularities and their effect on the global trait of dynamical systems. This book is a valuable resource for mechanical and materials engineers. Research workers and students will also find this book useful.

Advances in Control Mechanics is based on a National Science Foundation-Sponsored Workshop on Control Mechanics, i.e., control system development using analytical methods of mechanics and active control of mechanical systems. Publication of the presentations at this workshop in this Academic Press series has made it possible to expand them into a format which will facilitate the study and utilization of their significant results by working professionals and research workers on the international scene. This book comprises 13 chapters, with the first focusing on recursive Lyapunov functions, particularly their properties and linear systems. Succeeding chapters tackle topics such as the Lyapunov functional approach to uncertain systems governed by functional differential equations with finite time-lag; and stabilizing discrete control laws for Hamiltonian systems. Other chapters cover component model reduction in canonical correlation coordinates; controlling a flexible plate to mimic a rigid one; the modal stability of imperfect cyclic systems; and simultaneous stabilization via low order controllers. The remaining chapters discuss the use of Liapunov techniques for collision-avoidance of robot arms; avoidance control of a two-point mechanical system; coordination controllers for multi-arm manipulators; MRAC techniques with application to robot manipulators; optimal preview controllers based upon explicit trajectory models; and analysis of a robot dragline for mining. This book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of engineering and aeronautics.

Control and Dynamic Systems: Advances in Theory in Applications, Volume 32: Advances in Aerospace Systems Dynamics and Control Systems, Part 2 of 3 deals with significant advances in technologies which support the development of aerospace systems. It also presents several algorithms and computational techniques used in complex aerospace systems. After discussing flight management systems (FMS), this volume presents techniques for treating complex aerospace systems models. These techniques include parameter identification, asymptotic perturbation method, reliability techniques, constrained optimization techniques, and computation methods for decoy discrimination and optimal targeting. This book is an excellent reference for research and professional workers in the field who want a comprehensive source of techniques with significant applied implications.

Control and Dynamic Systems: Advances in Theory in Applications, Volume 31: Advances in Aerospace Systems Dynamics and Control Systems, Part 1 of 3 deals with significant advances in technologies which support the development of aerospace systems. It also presents several algorithms and computational techniques used in complex aerospace systems. The techniques discussed in this volume include: moving-bank multiple model adaptive estimation, algorithms for multitarget sensor tracking systems; algorithms in differential dynamic programming; optimal control of linear stochastic systems; and normalized predictive deconvulation. This book is an important reference for practitioners in the field who want a comprehensive source of techniques with significant applied implications.