Finite-Time Sideslip Observer-Based Adaptive Fuzzy Path-Following Control of Underactuated Marine Vehicles with Time-Varying Large Sideslip

For an underactuated marine vehicle (UMV) with time-varying large sideslip and unknown dynamics, a novel finite-time sideslip observer-based adaptive fuzzy path-following control (FSO-AFPFC) scheme is proposed. Main contributions are as follows: (1) a finite-time sideslip observer (FSO) is created to exactly estimate time-varying large sideslip angle in a short time, and is incorporated into the proposed sideslip-tangent line-of-sight (SLOS) guidance scheme, and thereby achieving fast and accurate guidance which significantly enhances robustness to unknown sideslip; (2) complex unknown dynamics are identified online by adaptive fuzzy approximators without a priori knowledge on UMV dynamics; (3) by virtue of adaptive non-smooth robust compensators, approximation errors can be completely dominated, and thereby contributing to model-free adaptive fuzzy controllers which make surge and heading tracking errors globally asymptotically converge to zero. Simulation studies are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed FSO-AFPFC scheme.