Decentralised sliding mode control for a class of nonlinear interconnected systems

In this paper, a decentralised control strategy based on sliding mode techniques is proposed for a class of nonlinear interconnected systems. Both matched uncertainties in the isolated subsystems and mismatched uncertainties associated with the interconnections are considered. Under mild conditions, sliding mode controllers for each subsystem are designed in a decentralised manner by only employing local information. Conditions are determined which enable information on the interconnections to be employed in decentralised controller design to reduce conservatism. The developed results are applied to an automated highway system. Simulation results pertaining to a high-speed following system are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.