Trajectory tracking of underactuated multibody systems

This work presents three different approaches in inverse dynamics for the solution of trajectory tracking problems in underactuated multibody systems. Such systems are characterized by less control inputs than degrees of freedom. The first approach uses an extension of the equations of motion by geometric and control constraints. This results in index-five differentialalgebraic equations. A projection method is used to reduce the systems index and the resulting equations are solved numerically. The second method is a flatness-based feedforward control design. Input and state variables can be parameterized by the flat outputs and their time derivatives up to a certain order. The third approach uses an optimal control algorithm which is based on the minimization of a cost functional including system outputs and desired trajectory. It has to be distinguished between direct and indirect methods. These specific methods are applied to an underactuated planar crane and a three-dimensional rotary crane.