Robust output feedback stabilization of uncertain nonlinear systems with uncontrollable and unobservable linearization

This paper investigates the problem of robust output feedback stabilization for a family of uncertain nonlinear systems with uncontrollable/unobservable linearization. To achieve global robust stabilization via smooth output feedback, we introduce a rescaling transformation with an appropriate dilation, which turns out to be very effective in dealing with uncertainty of the system. Using this rescaling technique combined with the nonseparation principle based design method, we develop a robust output feedback control scheme for uncertain nonlinear systems in the p-normal form, under a homogeneous growth condition. The construction of smooth state feedback controllers and homogeneous observers uses only the knowledge of the bounding homogeneous system rather than the uncertain system itself. The robust output feedback design approach is then extended to a class of uncertain cascade systems beyond a strict-triangular structure. Examples are provided to illustrate the results of the paper.