Finite-time optimal control for a class of nonlinear systems with performance constraints via critic-only ADP: Theory and experiments

This paper addresses the optimal control problem within the framework of adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) for a class of nonlinear systems subjected to performance constraints. A new finite-time optimal control scheme is developed to stabilize the system by using the critic-only neural network ADP method. Compared with the existing ADP-based optimal control methods with uniformly ultimately bounded stability, the provided control scheme ensures that the controlled system's state and neural network weight estimation error are finite-time stable. It can ensure optimality, prescribed performance, and finite-time stability of the closed-loop control system simultaneously through an integration of ADP, the prescribed performance control technique, and Lyapunov theory. The designed adaptive neural network weight update law can relax the persisting excitation condition. The proposed control scheme is implemented on a robotic experiment platform to achieve trajectory tracking and verify its effectiveness.