(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006-09)
Egerstedt, Magnus B.; Azuma, Shun-ichi; Wardi, Yorai Y.
Optimal switch-time control is an area that investigates how best to switch between different
control modes. In this paper we present an algorithm for solving the optimal switch-time control
problem for single-switch, linear systems where the state of the system is only partially known through
the outputs. A method is presented that both guarantees that the current switch-time remains
optimal as the state estimates evolve, and that ensures this in a computationally feasible manner,
thus rendering the method applicable to real-time applications. An extension is moreover considered
where constraints on the switch-time provides the observer with sufficient time to settle. The viability
of the proposed method is illustrated through a number of examples.