Research ArticleRobust decentralized hybrid adaptive output feedback fuzzy control for a class of large-scale MIMO nonlinear systems and its application to AHS

•This paper develops an observer-based decentralized hybrid adaptive fuzzy control scheme.•The controller flexibly integrate the control efforts of IAFC and DAFC.•The controller singularity is precluded based upon an overall design framework.•The transient performance of the CAFC subsystem is taken into account.

This paper presents a novel observer-based decentralized hybrid adaptive fuzzy control scheme for a class of large-scale continuous-time multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) uncertain nonlinear systems whose state variables are unmeasurable. The scheme integrates fuzzy logic systems, state observers, and strictly positive real conditions to deal with three issues in the control of a large-scale MIMO uncertain nonlinear system: algorithm design, controller singularity, and transient response. Then, the design of the hybrid adaptive fuzzy controller is extended to address a general large-scale uncertain nonlinear system. It is shown that the resultant closed-loop large-scale system keeps asymptotically stable and the tracking error converges to zero. The better characteristics of our scheme are demonstrated by simulations.