Predefined-time controller design for a multiple space transportation robots system based on Lp-Norm-Normalized Sign Function

This paper presents a predefined-time controller for Multiple Space transportation Robots System (MSRS), which can be applied in on-orbit assembly tasks to transport modules to pre-assembly configuration quickly. Firstly, to simplify the analysis and design of predefined-time controller, a Predefined-time Stability Criterion is proposed in the form of Composite Lyapunov Function (CLF-PSC). Besides simplicity, the CLF-PSC also has the advantage of less conservativeness due to utilization of initial state information. Secondly, a concept of Lp-Norm-Normalized Sign Function (LPNNSF) is proposed based on the CLF-PSC. Different from traditional norm-normalized sign function, the Lp-norm of LPNNSF can be selected arbitrarily according to practical control task requirements, which means that the proposed LPNNSF is more generalized and more convenient for calculation. Thirdly, a predefined-time disturbance observer and predefined-time controller are designed based on the LPNNSF. The observer has the property of predefined-time convergence to achieve quicker and more accurate estimation of the lumped disturbance. The controller has less control input and chattering phenomenon than traditional predefined-time controller. In addition, by introducing the observer into the controller, the closed-loop system enjoys high precision and strong robustness. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed controller is verified by numerical simulations. By employing the controller, the MSRS can carry assembly modules to the desired pre-assembly configuration accurately within predefined time.