Yixin Yin

Bio: Yixin Yin is an academic researcher from University of Science and Technology Beijing. The author has contributed to research in topics: Extreme learning machine & Adaptive control. The author has an hindex of 17, co-authored 117 publications receiving 911 citations. Previous affiliations of Yixin Yin include Chinese Ministry of Education.

Leader–Follower Output Synchronization of Linear Heterogeneous Systems With Active Leader Using Reinforcement Learning

Abstract: This paper develops optimal control protocols for the distributed output synchronization problem of leader–follower multiagent systems with an active leader. Agents are assumed to be heterogeneous with different dynamics and dimensions. The desired trajectory is assumed to be preplanned and is generated by the leader. Other follower agents autonomously synchronize to the leader by interacting with each other using a communication network. The leader is assumed to be active in the sense that it has a nonzero control input so that it can act independently and update its control to keep the followers away from possible danger. A distributed observer is first designed to estimate the leader’s state and generate the reference signal for each follower. Then, the output synchronization of leader–follower systems with an active leader is formulated as a distributed optimal tracking problem, and inhomogeneous algebraic Riccati equations (AREs) are derived to solve it. The resulting distributed optimal control protocols not only minimize the steady-state error but also optimize the transient response of the agents. An off-policy reinforcement learning algorithm is developed to solve the inhomogeneous AREs online in real time and without requiring any knowledge of the agents’ dynamics. Finally, two simulation examples are conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Optimal Containment Control of Unknown Heterogeneous Systems With Active Leaders

Abstract: This brief presents a partially model-free solution to the distributed containment control of multiagent systems using off-policy reinforcement learning (RL). The followers are assumed to be heterogeneous with different dynamics, and the leaders are assumed to be active in the sense that their control inputs can be nonzero. Optimality is explicitly imposed in solving the containment problem to not only drive the agents’ states into a convex hull of the leaders’ states but also minimize their transient responses. Inhomogeneous algebraic Riccati equations (AREs) are derived to solve the optimal containment control with active leaders. The resulting control protocol for each agent depends on its own state and an estimation of an interior point inside the convex hull spanned by the leaders. This estimation is provided by designing a distributed observer for a trajectory inside the convex hull of active leaders. Only the knowledge of the leaders’ dynamics is required by the observer. An off-policy RL algorithm is developed to solve the inhomogeneous AREs online in real time without requiring any knowledge of the followers’ dynamics. Finally, a simulation example is presented to show the effectiveness of the presented algorithm.

Hamiltonian-Driven Adaptive Dynamic Programming for Continuous Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

Abstract: This paper presents a Hamiltonian-driven framework of adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) for continuous time nonlinear systems, which consists of evaluation of an admissible control, comparison between two different admissible policies with respect to the corresponding the performance function, and the performance improvement of an admissible control. It is showed that the Hamiltonian can serve as the temporal difference for continuous-time systems. In the Hamiltonian-driven ADP, the critic network is trained to output the value gradient. Then, the inner product between the critic and the system dynamics produces the value derivative. Under some conditions, the minimization of the Hamiltonian functional is equivalent to the value function approximation. An iterative algorithm starting from an arbitrary admissible control is presented for the optimal control approximation with its convergence proof. The implementation is accomplished by a neural network approximation. Two simulation studies demonstrate the effectiveness of Hamiltonian-driven ADP.

Online Barrier-Actor-Critic Learning for H∞ Control with Full-State Constraints and Input Saturation

Abstract: This paper develops a novel adaptive optimal control design method with full-state constraints and input saturation in the presence of external disturbance. First, to consider the full-state constraints, a barrier function is developed for system transformation. Moreover, it is shown that, with the barrier-function-based system transformation, the stabilization of the transformed system is equivalent to the original constrained control problem. Second, the disturbance attenuation problem is formulated within the zero-sum differential games framework. To determine the optimal control and the worst-case disturbance, a novel barrier-actor-critic algorithm is presented for adaptive optimal learning while guaranteeing the full-state constraints and input saturation. It is proven that the closed-loop signals remain bounded during the online learning phase. Finally, simulation studies are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented barrier-actor-critic learning algorithm.

Reinforcement Learning and Adaptive Dynamic Programming for Feedback Control

Abstract: This paper first offers a transversal view through microfluidics theory and applications, starting from a brief overview on microfluidic systems and related theoretical issues, covering different kinds of phenomena, from continuous to multiphase flow. Multidimensional models, from lumped parameters to numerical models and computational solutions, are then considered as preliminary tools for the characterization of spatio-temporal dynamics in microfluidic flows. Following these, experimental approaches through original monitoring opto-electronic interfaces and systems are discussed. Finally, a vision of two phase microfluidic phenomena is given through nonlinear analyses applied to experimental time series.

Adaptive Consensus Control of Linear Multiagent Systems With Dynamic Event-Triggered Strategies

Abstract: This paper is concerned with event-triggered consensus of general linear multiagent systems (MASs) in leaderless and leader-following networks, respectively, in the framework of adaptive control. A distributed dynamic event-triggered strategy is first proposed, in which an auxiliary parameter is introduced for each agent to regulate its threshold dynamically. The time-varying threshold ensures less triggering instants, compared with the traditional static one. Then under the proposed event-triggered strategy, a distributed adaptive consensus protocol is formed including the updating law of the coupling strength for each agent. Some criteria are derived to guarantee leaderless or leader-following consensus for MASs with general linear dynamics, respectively. Moreover, it is proved that the triggering time sequences do not exhibit Zeno behavior. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed dynamic event-triggered control mechanism combined with adaptive control is validated by two examples.

Observer-Based Neuro-Adaptive Optimized Control of Strict-Feedback Nonlinear Systems With State Constraints

Abstract: This article proposes an adaptive neural network (NN) output feedback optimized control design for a class of strict-feedback nonlinear systems that contain unknown internal dynamics and the states that are immeasurable and constrained within some predefined compact sets. NNs are used to approximate the unknown internal dynamics, and an adaptive NN state observer is developed to estimate the immeasurable states. By constructing a barrier type of optimal cost functions for subsystems and employing an observer and the actor-critic architecture, the virtual and actual optimal controllers are developed under the framework of backstepping technique. In addition to ensuring the boundedness of all closed-loop signals, the proposed strategy can also guarantee that system states are confined within some preselected compact sets all the time. This is achieved by means of barrier Lyapunov functions which have been successfully applied to various kinds of nonlinear systems such as strict-feedback and pure-feedback dynamics. Besides, our developed optimal controller requires less conditions on system dynamics than some existing approaches concerning optimal control. The effectiveness of the proposed optimal control approach is eventually validated by numerical as well as practical examples.