Adaptive Robust Finite-Time Trajectory Tracking Control of Fully Actuated Marine Surface Vehicles

In this brief, an adaptive robust finite-time tracking control (ARFTTC) scheme for trajectory tracking of a fully actuated marine surface vehicle with unknown disturbances is proposed. A new finite-time disturbance observer is incorporated into the proposed finite-time tracking control (FTTC) structure that facilitates faster convergence and better robustness to disturbances. Hence, in the presence of unknown disturbances, the ARFTTC can cause tracking error to converge to zero in a finite time. Simulation studies and comprehensive comparisons with conventional backstepping technique demonstrate remarkable performance and superiority of the ARFTTC in terms of both tracking accuracy and robustness.