Stability analysis of nonlinear mechanical systems with switched force fields

The stability of the trivial equilibrium position of a nonlinear mechanical system with switched dissipative and potential forces is studied. It is assumed that dissipative forces are linear, while potential forces are nonlinear and homogeneous. By the use of multiple Lyapunov functions approach and dwell time approach, the conditions on switched law guaranteeing asymptotic stability and practical stability of the equilibrium position are obtained. An example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.