Generalized ESO and Predictive Control Based Robust Autopilot Design

A novel continuous time predictive control and generalized extended state observer (GESO) based acceleration tracking pitch autopilot design is proposed for a tail controlled, skid-to-turn tactical missile. As the dynamics of missile are significantly uncertain with mismatched uncertainty, GESO is employed to estimate the state and uncertainty in an integrated manner. The estimates are used to meet the requirement of state and to robustify the output tracking predictive controller designed for nominal system. Closed loop stability for the controller-observer structure is established. An important feature of the proposed design is that it does not require any specific information about the uncertainty. Also the predictive control design yields the feedback control gain and disturbance compensation gain simultaneously. Effectiveness of GESO in estimation of the states and uncertainties and in robustifying the predictive controller in the presence of parametric uncertainties, external disturbances, unmodeled dynamics, and measurement noise is illustrated by simulation.