Finite-Time Sliding Mode Control Design for Unknown Nonaffine Pure-Feedback Systems

A class of unknown nonaffine pure-feedback nonlinear systems is investigated and a novel output feedback control scheme with low complexity is proposed, based on the sliding mode control theory. The scheme is capable of guaranteeing output tracking error with finite-time convergence and bounded closed loop signals. In this scheme, a novel transformation method is included, which can easily transform the state-feedback control of nonaffine systems into output feedback control of strict-feedback affine systems. Based on the transformed affine systems, a novel finite-time sliding mode control is designed, which is continuous and nonsingular. The control scheme proposed in this work is simple and easy to implement, in which the ‘‘explosion of complexity’’ caused by backstepping-like scheme is completely avoided. And the finite-time convergence is successfully achieved. In addition, the scheme is designed based on output feedback control. And the dynamics of the nonaffine nonlinear systems is unknown in the design process. Thus, the system knowledge needed is reduced.