International Journal of Automation and Control (30 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Deep reinforcement learning LQR controller design for MIMO systems applied to gas production facility  
  by Kamel Ben Slimane, Zied Tmar, Mongi Besbes 
  Abstract: This paper addresses performance control in the synthesis of a stabilising controller for a gas production facility. The controller’s performance is closely linked to the pole values defined during synthesis. However, it is highlighted that these calculated pole values may not always be applicable due to the system’s physical constraints, such as the impossibility of reducing a biological chemical reaction from hours to microseconds. Initially, the controller is synthesised using an LQR controller with state estimators generated by a specific observer. An in-depth discussion of pole values is provided, referencing Hadamard’s lemma, Gerschgorin discs, and the Nyquist stability criterion. To enhance stabilisation performance, Deep Reinforcement Learning is employed to modify the poles by adjusting LQR values in a learning environment. The results demonstrate a successful integration of Gerschgorin discs early in the synthesis process, followed by Deep Reinforcement Learning improvements, generating physically feasible pole values that significantly enhance controller performance.
  Keywords: stabilising controller; controller synthesis; pole placement; LQR control; linear quadratic regulator; Gerschgorin discs; deep reinforcement learning; MIMO systems; multiple inputs and multiple outputs.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2025.10067319
   
  
• Enhancing sensor node autonomy: CMOS energy harvesting from controller area network data lines  
  by Hatim Ameziane, Mourad Yessef, Ali Amkor 
  Abstract: This paper presents a novel approach to empower sensor nodes autonomously by harnessing energy from Controller Area Network (CAN) data lines using CMOS technology. The proposed energy harvesting system efficiently captures and stores energy from the CAN network, eliminating the need for frequent battery replacements and offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution for IoT applications. Through comprehensive simulations and experiments, the system's performance showcases remarkable metrics, including a rapid stabilization time of 520ns, ultra-low ground current of 10 µA, and an impressive energy efficiency of 89.1%. This innovative system not only demonstrates the effective extraction and regulation of energy from CAN data lines but also paves the way for sustainable and economical energy harvesting solutions in the realm of IoT applications, promising enhanced operational longevity for sensor nodes in diverse environments.
  Keywords: EHS; energy harvesting system; CAN; controller area network; WSN; wireless sensor nodes; duty cycle; CAN-ARINC825; SoC; system on chip; PM ICs; power management ICs.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2025.10067354
   
  
• Sensor fault diagnostics and resilient control in PMSM drives for EVs using LADRC  
  by Sankhadip Saha, Urmila Kar 
  Abstract: The paper introduces a novel comprehensive strategy for detecting and categorising sensor faults and proposes a fault-resilient control (FRC) scheme based on linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) specifically designed for permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives for electric vehicles (EVs). The approach includes a rapid yet effective method for identifying speed sensor faults without relying on estimated speed values, enhancing the autonomy of sensor diagnostic phases, and employing a discrete sliding mode observer (D-SMO) for speed sensorless fault-resilient control. Additionally, the paper suggests a hybrid method for localising and categorising current sensor faults, merging model-based and signal-based techniques. The proposed second-order LADRC technique is employed for speed regulation in field-oriented control (FOC), demonstrating its effectiveness in estimating and counteracting external disturbances while addressing current sensor fault detection challenges in EV applications. Simulation and experimental tests validate the efficacy of the proposed sensor diagnostic method for fault-resilient control of PMSM drives.
  Keywords: fault detection; fault categorisation; FRC; fault-resilient control; LADRC; linear active disturbance rejection control; D-SMO; discrete sliding mode observer; PMSM; permanent magnet synchronous motor; EV; electric vehicle.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2025.10067563
   
  
• Fractional-order virtual inertia control based on a hybrid energy storage system for frequency control in an island microgrid  
  by Notchum Deffo Boris Arnaud , Bakouri Anass  
  Abstract: High penetration of renewable sources through microgrids leads to several instabilities, including frequency instability due to a lack of inertia and variability of solar and wind sources, as well as loads. In this paper, a control strategy based on virtual inertia control, also known as synthetic inertia control, is applied in an isolated microgrid (IMG) to ensure frequency stability. By analogy with conventional systems, the proposed virtual inertia controller is based on fractional order (FOVIC) and applied to the hybrid energy storage system. The parameters of these controllers are optimised by a novel metaheuristic algorithm known as the augmented grey wolf algorithm (AGWO), which is an improvement of grey wolf optimisation. The use of these allows better performance in terms of overshoot, and undershoot for frequency deviation compared to the entire virtual inertia control, the system without inertia controller, and another optimisation algorithm.
  Keywords: load frequency control; fractional order calculus; virtual inertia control; augmented grey wolf optimisation; hybrid energy storage system.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10067626
   
  
• Optimised fractional order PID controller for a 3 DOF Hover quadrotor: experimental validation and robustness analysis  
  by Djamel Dhahbane, Aimen Abdelhak Messaoui, Abdellali Kourtel, Ayoub Ferah 
  Abstract: This paper aims to implement a model-free linear control law based on fractional proportional integral derivative (FPID) regulator. The control approach is applied to a quadrotor system to stabilise its attitude through the three rotation axes (roll, pitch, and yaw), where the control parameters are optimised via the particle swarm optimisation (PSO)algorithm. The proposed controller is tested in simulation, experimentally validated on the3DOF Hover platform, and compared with two other methods: the linear quadratic regulator (LQR), the classical proportional integral derivative (PID) controller and the Backstepping method. Furthermore, robustness analysis is carried out to evaluate the performances of the investigated controller against internal and external disturbances. The obtained results have demonstrated the efficiency and usefulness of the investigated controller in terms of precision (less than 0.2 degrees in attitude error) and robustness in the presence of perturbed environments.
  Keywords: quadrotor; 3DOF Hover system; attitude control; LQR; linear quadratic regulator; backstepping; fractional PID; PSO algorithm; robustness analysis.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10067765
   
  
• Dissipativity analysis for nonlinear delayed differential systems with three kinds of time-varying delays  
  by Yushan Chang, Xiaona Yang, Xian Zhang 
  Abstract: This work investigates the problems of global exponential stability analysis and dissipativity analysis for a class of nonlinear delayed differential systems concurrently affected by time-varying distributed, leakage and transmission delays. Sufficient conditions to guarantee that the considered nonlinear delayed differential systems are globally exponentially stable with dissipative level are presented by proposing a direct method based on system solutions. The conditions given in this paper consist of only several simple inequalities which are easily realised by applying the software tool YALMIP. The method proposed in this paper is quite simple and avoids the construction of Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals, thus significantly reducing the computational effort. Finally, two simulation examples illustrate the applicability of the theoretical results.
  Keywords: NDDSs; nonlinear delayed differential systems; dissipativity; global exponential stability; time-varying distributed delays; time-varying transmission delays; time-varying leakage delays.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10067915
   
  
• A hybrid graph attention mechanism for load forecasting based on efficiently spatiotemporal feature extraction  
  by Jie Chen, Yajing Tang, Xiao Liu, Ling Wang, Mao Tan, Haodong Zhang 
  Abstract: Load forecasting is fundamental to optimising and dispatching power systems. Despite the efficiency of existing load forecasting methods, they fall short in extracting more comprehensive feature representations. To solve this problem, this paper presents a spatiotemporal load forecasting method that integrates key factors, including historical load patterns, footfall, and meteorological conditions. Our method leverages residual graph convolutional networks (ResGCN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) as the primary models for forecasting. Firstly, we pinpoint the most significant variables by correlation analysis. Subsequently, we extract spatiotemporal features from load graphs and input these features into our forecasting model. The model integrates a local-global graph attention (LGGA) mechanism to incorporate local and global information, enhancing the understanding of load data. Additionally, we employ a convolutional block attention module (CBAM) to fine-tune the feature representations, thereby improving model sensitivity. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our method.
  Keywords: load forecasting; spatiotemporal feature; graph attention mechanism; graph convolutional network; LGGA; local-global graph attention; CBAM; convolutional block attention module; ResGCN; residual graph convolutional network.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10068854
   
  
• Controlling and stabilising of non-holonomic wheeled mobile robot equipped with manipulator (WMRM)  
  by Jun Xiao  
  Abstract: Mobile robots have a significant contribution to many fields from research, and industry to healthcare and beyond. Wheeled mobile robots (WMR) equipped with manipulators provide a flexible and attractive solution to grasp the targeted object from an unapproachable area where human access is not easy/possible. This research aims to control and stabilise the non-holonomic WMR equipped with a manipulator (WMRM). In this study, the model references adaptive control (MRAC) in conjunction with regulation, pole-placement, and tracking (RST) control scheme is designed to control the non-linear behaviour of the vehicle. The model used in this research has five degrees of freedom (DOF). Three DOFs for the vehicle and the manipulator has two DOFs. The designed control scheme stabilises the disturbances caused by the manipulator due to its continuous movement. Simulation results are compared with the RST controller and the designed scheme ensures higher efficiency, accuracy, robustness, and convergence to stability.
  Keywords: adaptive RST controller; WMR; wheeled mobile robot; manipulation; degree of freedom; robotic arm based vehicle; robotic vehicle; control algorithm; non-holonomic vehicle.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10068883
   
  
• Research on multi-target tracking of moving observation stations based on IL-PSO algorithm  
  by Xinbiao Lu, Fang Li, Chenyang Hang 
  Abstract: Regarding how the positional arrangement of mobile sensors affects multi-target tracking accuracy, the interactive learning particle swarm optimisation (IL-PSO) algorithm is introduced. It uses observation stations’ motion models to predict multi-target states. First, targets are allocated for effective tracking. Then, joint probabilistic data association (JPDA), strong tracking filter (STF), and genetic algorithm particle filter (GAPF) algorithms are integrated to improve tracking accuracy. A comparative analysis based on IL-PSO shows its superior performance in metrics like relative point position error. This is due to its optimisation of station positions and the integration of algorithms enhancing precision and robustness.
  Keywords: GAPF; genetic algorithm particle filter; JPDA; joint probabilistic data association; multi-target tracking; PSO; particle swarm optimisation; STF; strong tracking filter.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10069803
   
  
• Design of a nonlinear PID controller for a twin rotor aerodynamic system  
  by Marwa Rasheed Ali, Omer Waleed Abdulwahhab 
  Abstract: This paper presents the implementation of an optimal nonlinear PID controller (N-PID) applied to a simplified and lab-scaled version of a real helicopter called a twin-rotor aerodynamic system. The controller is proposed to precisely track the desired trajectories for both the main and tail rotors. This controller is developed by adjusting the integral part of the conventional PID controller to become nonlinear by using nonlinear function. The N-PID is compared with the optimal linear PID controller (L-PID). The simulation results show that the N-PID controller outperforms the optimal L-PID controller. This is clear from the conclusion that the N-PID controller’s having lower performance indices than the L-PID controller’s, suggesting superior overall error minimisation. Some performance indicators are improved by the N-PID. Another comparison between the N-PID controller and the sliding mode controller (SMC) is carried out. The simulation results show that the N-PID controller outperforms the SMC in some performance indicators.
  Keywords: N-PID; nonlinear PID controller; optimal PID controller; twin rotor aerodynamic system; frequency response specifications.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10069866
   
  
• AMIGO and WC tuning based PID controller design for FESS integrated islanded microgrid  
  by R.S. Meena, Vinay Pratap Singh, A.V. Waghmare, Veerpratap Meena, Akhilesh Mathur 
  Abstract: To mitigate frequency deviations occurring in isolated microgrid, this study evaluates PID controller, designed using approximate m-constrained integral gain optimisation (AMIGO) and Wang Cluett (WC) tuning rules. Microgrid model considered for analysis includes both uncontrollable and controllable distributed generation units (DGUs) along with flywheel energy storage (FESS) as energy storing system. Additionally, the first order transfer function of FESS and DGUs, altogether produces a linearized system transfer function. Further for simplifying the analysis of mircrogrid, transfer function is approximated in first order plus time delay (FOPTD) form. The FOPDT model provides system gain, time constant, and delay time. These obtained values are utilized further to derive controller parameters. Tuning rules are implemented to finely tune controller parameters. Frequency analysis and transient response analysis are conducted for AMIGO-based and WC-based PID controllers. The controllers’ efficiency and applicability are further clarified by conducting a comparative analysis between AMIGO-based and WC-based PID controllers.
  Keywords: islanded microgrid; tuning; AMIGO method; PID controller; FOPDT model; FESS; flywheel energy storage.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10069867
   
  
• Perturbation estimation-based multivariable control of polymerisation reactor with input constraints  
  by Zahra Ahangari Sisi, Mehdi Mirzaei, Maryam Farbodi, Sadra Rafatnia 
  Abstract: The polymerisation reaction in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is controlled as a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) nonlinear process. This study proposes a novel optimisation-based approach for estimating the perturbations of polymerisation reactor model. The proposed strategy compensates for disturbances and time-varying uncertainties by appending complementary terms to the model. Accordingly, a continuous predictive controller is designed based on the constructed model considering the limitations of control inputs. In the results, at first, by evaluating the open-loop performance, the effect of noise in the estimated model is attenuated by weighting the complementary terms. Subsequently, the better performance of the estimator based controller is demonstrated in comparing with the other methods. For example, for the same range of the control inputs, the proposed method shows respectively 5.6% and 40% reduction in the root means square (RMS) of tracking errors for the monomer concentration and the temperature with much less simulation time compared to the conventional predictive controller.
  Keywords: polymerisation reactor; model updating; multivariable control; constrained stability; perturbation estimation; stochastic stability.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10069946
   
  
• Design and investigations of MIT, fractional-order MIT and modified MIT rule-based model reference adaptive control for noninteracting and interacting two-tank coupled systems  
  by Dhananjay Gupta, Awadhesh Kumar, Vinod Kumar Giri 
  Abstract: The chemical process industries make extensive use of coupled tank systems (CTS) in their industrial applications. In this paper, a normal Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) rule, fractional-order MIT (FOMIT) rule and modified MIT rule-based model reference adaptive controller (MRAC) have been designed to stabilise CTS. After the implementation of all three mentioned methods, it has been found that a stable closed loop system cannot be guaranteed by traditional MIT rule. To overcome this problem the FOMIT and PID enhanced MIT rule-based MRAC has been designed. The FOMIT rule-based MRAC method necessitates a few lower values of adaptation gains to achieve the desired response, while modified MIT rule-based MRAC shows the desired response at a very wide range of adaptation gain values. The research contributes to the understanding of the adaptability and robustness of control systems in the context of two-tank coupled systems.
  Keywords: CTS; coupled tank systems; adaptive control; adaptation gain; MIT rule; fractional-order MIT rule; modified MIT rule; MRAC.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10070039
   
  
• Observer-based nonlinear cascade control approach of rewinding systems with uncertainties and disturbances compensation  
  by Van Trong Dang, Thi Dieu Trinh Tran , Dinh Bao Hung Nguyen , Tung Lam Nguyen 
  Abstract: In this paper, the goal is to design a controller based on the backstepping technique and a nonlinear disturbance observer to control the tension and angular velocity of multiple-span rewinding systems under disturbance and uncertainty. The backstepping control technique is considered a control method with great potential for underactuated nonlinear objects with multi-input multi-output. However, there is currently no secure stability in operation when the system is ominously affected by disturbances and uncertainties. Therefore, a non-linear disturbance observer is integrated with the method to address that problem. This observer is designed with auxiliary state variables to reduce the measurement disturbance. The convergence of the proposed observer is taken into consideration and the stability of the whole system is demonstrated by choosing a proper Lyapunov function. The effectiveness of the proposed control schematic is tested through comparative simulations with other typical nonlinear control algorithms on a two-span web transport system.
  Keywords: multiple spans rewinding systems; back stepping technique; HGDOB; high-gain disturbance observer; cascade control structure; lumped uncertainties; disturbances.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10070127
   
  
• Learning manta ray foraging optimisation based on external force for parameters identification of photovoltaic cell and module  
  by Lin Zhang, Zuwei Huang, Donglin Zhu 
  Abstract: Photovoltaic systems, as a key area of research in the energy industry, face challenges from harsh environmental conditions that impact both power generation efficiency and service life. Therefore, constructing an accurate current-voltage model for solar cells is a complex issue. To address this, this paper proposes a Learning Manta Ray Algorithm based on External Force (EMRFO). The algorithm introduces two ways of random and opposition-based Learning in the initialisation process to construct the initial population. Additionally, a self-adaptive flip factor is introduced to optimise performance across varying environments. Lastly, a gravity centre learning mechanism based on external force is proposed, which utilises both internal and external population information to enhance development and exploration capabilities. Experimental results demonstrate that EMRFO exhibits strong optimisation performance. In solar cell parameter identification, the parameters obtained using EMRFO improve model accuracy.
  Keywords: solar cell; manta ray foraging optimisation; local opposition-based learning; somersault factor; centre of gravity learning; benchmark function; parameter identification.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10070128
   
  
• A novel cascade controller for load frequency control in a multi-sources microgrid  
  by Notchum Deffo Boris Arnaud* , Bakouri Anass 
  Abstract: The increasing integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) into the power grid reduces system inertia, leading to frequency instability due to RES and load variability. To address this, a novel cascaded controller, (PIDn+PDn)-PI, is proposed for load frequency control (LFC) in a microgrid comprising wind turbines, photovoltaic systems, solar thermal power, aqua electrolyser, diesel generator, electric vehicle, and hybrid storage (supercapacitor & battery). The controller's parameters are optimised using the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm. MATLAB/Simulink simulations demonstrate its superiority in settling time (0.0063 s), maximum overshoot (1.07 × 10^-4), and maximum undershoot (-1.58 × 10^-3) compared to PI, PIDn, PDn-PI, and nonlinear sliding mode controllers. A sensitivity analysis with electric vehicle gain variations (0.1, 1, and 10) confirms robustness. The results highlight the efficiency and reliability of the proposed controller in ensuring frequency stability in microgrids with high RES penetration.
  Keywords: LFC; load frequency control; optimisation algorithms; cascaded controller; RESs; renewable energy sources; microgrids.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10070790
   
  
• A sliding mode controller with balancing technique for interleaved buck-boost converters  
  by Ilhem Mhamdi , Mohamed Abbes 
  Abstract: This paper investigates the influence of components mismatch on the operation of interleaved buck-boost converters (IBB). It was shown that intrinsic differences of employed electronic components would cause significant current imbalance through the switching cells, which may impede system performances. Thus, a control strategy based on Sliding Mode Control (SMC) is proposed in this paper in order to ensure efficient control of the output voltage but also maintain equal currents in the two filtering inductors. The performances of the proposed control method were evaluated through simulation and experimental results. It was concluded that the SMC-based strategy effectively maintains balanced currents across the converter stages while ensuring accurate control of the output voltage. The proposed IBB converter along with the proposed control strategy can be efficiently integrated in different high power applications, including renewable energy generation, electric vehicles and fuel cells.
  Keywords: control systems design; power systems; variable structure control; SMC; sliding mode control.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10070865
   
  
• Modified discrete internal model control (D-IMC) for cart inverted pendulum system  
  by Sumit Kumar Pandey, Jayati Dey, Subrata Banerjee 
  Abstract: This work suggests a discrete internal model control (D-IMC) in a modified form for control of MIMO systems. The primary goal of the suggested control strategy is to guarantee perfect reference tracking functionality although external disturbances remain with the plant. To this end, the requirements for accurate set-point chasing are also derived in this work. A methodical design technique is developed and presented in an explicit manner. Further, to establish the veracity of the theoretical developments, the design method is applied for stabilization and control of cart inverted pendulum system (CIPS) that is a one of the benchmark examples of unstable under-actuated multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems. The proposed controller is implemented successfully to the test rig set-up of CIPS made by FEEDBACK INSTRUMENTS LTD, UK. The simulation results prove that the designed controllers are performing satisfactorily. The experimental results also validate the time domain performance and efficacious reference tracking capability of the proposed control technique.
  Keywords: D-IMC; discrete internal model control; UMIMO; under actuated MIMO; CIPS; cart inverted pendulum system; robust control.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10071636
   
  
• Advanced power management and optimisation of hybrid battery-supercapacitor energy storage systems in off-grid photovoltaic installations using heuristic-based fractional order control  
  by Hadjer Benfatma, Houari Khouidmi, Boubakar Bessedik 
  Abstract: The implementation of hybrid energy storage solutions, combining batteries and supercapacitors, into off-grid photovoltaic systems is essential for enhancing energy reliability and operational flexibility. This hybrid approach addresses the intermittency of solar power while offering significant economic benefits through optimised energy management. This study introduces an advanced power management strategy for photovoltaic systems featuring a hybrid battery-supercapacitor energy storage system. To enhance system performance, a fractional order proportional integral derivative (FOPID) controller was introduced and optimised using both the hippopotamus optimisation algorithm (HOA) and the Bat Algorithm (BA). The additional tuning parameters of the FOPID controller provide superior control precision compared to traditional PI controllers. Comprehensive simulations under various load and irradiance scenarios were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the HOA-optimised FOPID controller relative to conventional control methods. The results demonstrate that the FOPID-HOA approach significantly improves efficiency, stability, and adaptability in managing hybrid energy storage, highlighting its potential to enhance the overall performance of off-grid photovoltaic systems.
  Keywords: energy management; FOPID; fractional order proportional integral-derivative; HESS; hybrid energy storage system; HOA; hippopotamus optimisation algorithm; BA; bat algorithm.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10071694
   
  
• Active disturbance rejection control method of electronic oxygen regulator based on cascade extended state observer  
  by Dongsheng Jiang, Heng Yao, Yue Liu, Shanshan Hu, Qiyao Yang 
  Abstract: An active perturbation suppression control method based on cascaded extended state observer (CESO) is proposed to improve the stability of breathing gas pressure regulation to cope with external perturbations encountered during the operation of an electronic oxygen regulator (EOR), to improve the stability of oxygen supply to the EOR, and to reduce the respiratory resistance of pilots during high-altitude flight. We compare the CESO with the traditional extended state observer (ESO) and design a state feedback control system to counteract external effects. Findings indicate that CESO is more efficient and accurate than ESO, especially under high control gain conditions. Simulations and experiments show CESO's superior performance in state observation and its ability to enhance regulator performance across different lung flux scenarios. This research underscores the potential of CESO in boosting system disturbance resistance and presents a novel control approach for EORs.
  Keywords: EOR; electronic oxygen regulator; pressure regulation; ESO; extended state observer; CESO; cascade extended state observer.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10071835
   
  
• Identification and autotuning of IMC based PI/PID controller via an effective fractional order-relay feedback approach  
  by Rahul B. Gaikwad, K. Raghu Raja Pandiyan , Uday Bhaskar Babu Gara 
  Abstract: Low-order linear models with time delay are widely used in model-based control design and tuning. This study introduces a systematic approach for identifying higher-order processes as lower-order models, specifically First Order and Second Order Plus Time Delay processes, by utilising a relay with hysteresis and a fractional integrator. The inclusion of the fractional integrator enhances the frequency response at the position frequency point derived from the Describing Function method, improving identification accuracy. We propose a method to identify fractional-order integrators based on minimising Integral Absolute Error, which induces limit cycles in the outputs of higher-order processes. This allows us to approximate the processes using amplitude and critical period characteristics. Subsequently, we design fractional filter IMC-PI/PID controllers based on the identified models, leveraging the same relay feedback data. We evaluate the controllers' robustness and noise rejection capabilities, with comparative studies demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed identification and control methods.
  Keywords: relay feedback; higher order model; CSOPTD; critically damped second order plus time delay; FOPTD; first order plus time delay; model identification; fractional order integrator; fractional filter.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2025.10071836
   
  
• Constrained and distributed adaptive fault-compensation for synchronising a network of multi-robot manipulators: a Barrier Lyapunov function-based approach  
  by Amir Naderolasli 
  Abstract: In this paper, a constrained and distributed adaptive fault-compensation is proposed for synchronising a network of multi-robot manipulators in the presence of parameter uncertainties, actuator faults and the output state constraints. The actuator faults contain some inputs where their values are unknown and time varying which lead to the undesirable performance of actuators and even system instability. An adaptive approximation law is designed to estimate the actuator faults in the constrained and distributed adaptive fault-compensation without limitations on the initial conditions. The graph theory has been utilised to communicate a network of multi-robot manipulators in which the minimum spanning tree of this graph is obtained through the proposed Kruskal approach. To cope the limitations of required sensors of multi-robot manipulators, an asymmetric time-varying barrier Lyapunov function (BLF)is utilised to constrain the trajectory tracking errors due to these restrictions while the unknown faults occur in the actuators of robot manipulators.
  Keywords: BLF; barrier Lyapunov function; constrained control; dynamic surface control; fault compensation; multi-robot manipulator.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10071924
   
  
• Adaptive neural finite-time control for uncertain stochastic semi-Markov jump systems subject to actuator failures  
  by Chengxin Li, Zhen Liu, Ruiping Xu, Baoping Jiang, Quanmin Zhu 
  Abstract: This paper presents an adaptive finite-time (FT) neural network-based sliding mode control (SMC) strategy for a category of uncertain stochastic semi- Markov jump systems (SMJSs) subject to composite actuator failures (AFs). Firstly, an adaptive SMC law is developed based upon RBF neural network (RBFNN) and a novel switching surface of linear (SSL) design. Specifically, the RBFNN is used to approximate both unknown disturbances and AFs, and the corresponding robust terms are introduced to compensate the approximation errors and estimation errors of the neural network, thereby ensuring that the system trajectory reaches the designed SSL in FT. Moreover, by introducing the partition strategy and stochastic stability theory, some novel sufficient conditions for the FT boundedness of the closed-loop system in the sliding mode phase are derived. This result avoids the norm-bounded assumption of AFs and unknown nonlinear disturbances and expands the previous research results. Ultimately, the effectiveness of the presented algorithm is validated through simulation results.
  Keywords: actuator failures; FTB; finite-time boundedness; semi-Markovian jump systems; RBFNN; RBF neural network; SMC; sliding mode control.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10072038
   
  
• The PSI-R method: an innovative approach to criteria weighting  
  by Do Duc Trung , Nazli Ersoy, Tran Van Dua, Hoang Xuan Thinh 
  Abstract: Weighting criteria represents a critical step in the application of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods for ranking alternatives. This study introduces a novel approach for weighting criteria, denoted as PSI-R, which integrates the PSI and R methods. The process begins with the use of the PSI method to determine the initial criteria weights. These weights then form the basis for ranking the relative importance (or priority) of the criteria. The ranking derived from the PSI method is subsequently used to refine the criteria weights through the R method. The efficacy of the PSI-R method has been rigorously assessed through four distinct case studies. In each case, a comprehensive comparison was made among several MCDM ranking techniques, including PSI-R, PSI, Entropy, LOPCOW, WENSLO, SD, and MEREC methods. The robustness and practical applicability of the model were further validated through an extensive comparative analysis. This research proposes the PSI-R method as an innovative and reliable approach for weighting criteria, offering enhanced stability in the ranking of alternatives across various MCDM methods.
  Keywords: MCDM; multi-criteria decision making; PSI method; PSI-R method; objective weight.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10072039
   
  
• Distributed fault tolerant coordinated control based on event triggered communication  
  by Panfei Huang, Fuqiang Di, Jiwei Xu, Jinxiong Zhao, Sixiao Wang 
  Abstract: The paper aims to develop a distributed fault tolerant coordinated control strategy with event triggered communication for spacecraft formation flying systems under limited communication, actuator fault, and external disturbance. To suppress the influence of limited communication, an event triggered control strategy that can ease data transmission frequency is adopted. To restrain the influence of actuator fault and external disturbance, two adaptive control laws are adopted respectively which can reduce the conservatism of the control scheme. Different from the traditional triggering conditions, the triggering condition of this paper constructed based on time and can be adjusted adaptively, such that the communication frequency has been further reduced.
  Keywords: spacecraft formation flying; limited communication; actuator fault; external disturbance; event triggered control.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10072139
   
  
• Design and experimental investigations of dynamic sliding-mode control strategy with dynamic sliding manifold for control systems  
  by A.R. Laware, S.A. Deokar, A.N. Sarwade, V.S. Bandal, M.H. Nerkar 
  Abstract: The chattering in control signal, response time, process parameter variability and stability are the issues in a classical sliding-mode control (SMC). The paper synthesises a dynamic sliding-mode controller (DySMC) to improve the performance of process control plants and thereby alleviating chattering effect. The stability condition is proven via direct Lyapunov candidate function. The proposed designs have been tested to temperature control system and second order servo plant while real-time experimental tests are carried out for level control system. The efficacy of the proposed design is assessed for four error-based performance indices. Simulation and experimental result reveals the superiority of proposed strategy over classical SMC, global SMC (GSMC) and normal terminal SMC(NTSMC)in terms of time-domain specifications, error-based performance indices, multiple reference-point tracking and disturbance rejection capability. The simulation and real-time experimental tests explore improvements in time domain specifications and error-based performance indices.
  Keywords: classical sliding-mode controller; chattering; dynamic sliding-mode controller; error-based performance indices; normal terminal sliding mode controller; real-time experimentation.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10072664
   
  
• Automation of preparation cleaning-in-place (CIP) process in dairy raw material production tank using PID controller  
  by Rindra Yusianto, Pulung Nurtantio Andono, Rabei Raad Ali, Herwin Suprijono, Marimin Marimin 
  Abstract: This study aims to determine the optimal Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) parameter values in a dairy raw material production tank's Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) preparation process. We use PLC with PID control and the Ziegler-Nichol 1 method to clean the CIP equipment. The results showed that the optimal value for each PID parameter was obtained at Kp = 7.2, Ki = 0.12, and Kd = 108, with the results for the material heating process being stable with a rise time of 250 seconds and a stable temperature until the 1600th second. The SSE parameter occurs at 1450 seconds. The research results also show that the automation of the CIP preparation process using a PID controller runs more optimally so that milk quality as a raw material for production is more guaranteed and safer in the logistics chain.
  Keywords: CIP; cleaning-in-place; dairy raw material; logistics chain; PID controller; Ziegler-Nichol’s method.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10072748
   
  
• Quadrotor control using hybrid approaches: LQR-PID and LQR-FOPID methods  
  by Serkan Budak, Cemil Sungur, Akif Durdu 
  Abstract: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are susceptible to environmental disturbances such as wind, which can compromise flight stability. The linear quadratic regulator (LQR) is known for its robustness and efficiency in minimising state deviations with low control effort. This study explores hybrid control strategies by integrating LQR with PID and fractional order PID (FOPID) controllers. The Big BangBig Crunch (BB-BC) algorithm is utilised to estimate the optimal parameters of all three controllers LQR, PID, and FOPID enhancing their overall performance. Three control structures, namely LQR, LQR-PID, and LQR-FOPID, are compared using rise time, settling time, and overshoot as performance metrics. The LQR-PID configuration exhibits faster response and reduced overshoot, particularly in yaw and pitch axes. Meanwhile, LQR-FOPID demonstrates improved pitch stability with shorter settling time and minimal overshoot. The results emphasise the effectiveness of BBBC-based parameter tuning and highlight the comparative advantages of each hybrid approach in UAV control applications.
  Keywords: quadrotor control; LQR; linear quadratic regulator; PID; proportional integral derivative; FOPID; fractional proportional integral derivative; hybrid control method.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10073110
   
  
• A disturbance observer-based sliding mode integrated control method for permanent magnet synchronous motors  
  by Gang Huang, Mingcan Zhang, Yuhan Zhang 
  Abstract: To address the issue of system degradation caused by parameter perturbations and external disturbances of permanent magnet synchronous motors, this paper presents an integrated control method that combines model-free adaptive fast integral terminal sliding-mode control and backstepping control based on an extended super-twisting disturbance observer. Firstly, a novel ultra-local mathematical model is constructed to reduce the dependence of a control method on an accurate model. Secondly, a model-free adaptive fast integral terminal sliding-mode controller is designed for speed loop by combining an adaptive fast convergence law and a non-singular fast integral terminal sliding-mode surface to achieve high-precision speed control. Then, a backstepping controller is designed for current loop to reject current oscillations. Finally, an extended super-twisting disturbance observer is designed to estimate the system total unknown disturbance. Then, the estimates are feedforward compensated to improve control accuracy. A comparative experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of the method.
  Keywords: PMSMs; permanent magnet synchronous motors; terminal sliding mode control; backstepping control; disturbance observer.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10073159
   
  
• PMSM wide-speed control using fractional order controllers and its application in hybrid electric vehicles  
  by Irfan Qureshi, Vikas Sharma 
  Abstract: In this paper, the wide-range speed control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) has been proposed. In general operating conditions, speed beyond the rated speed of the motor has not been achieved. To achieve a wide speed, a field weakening technique has been used in this paper to meet the requirements of the high-speed drive at the desired torque. A comparison between conventional PI versus FO-PI controller has been done and the proposed FO-PI technique has been found superior to the conventional PI controller. The Proposed technique has been simulated and verified in MATLAB/Simulink. This paper also presents the hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) system implemented with the Fractional Order Proportional Integral (FO-PI) controller and results also compare with standard Proportional Integral (PI) controller. Application of PMSM in a Hybrid Electrical Vehicle has also been simulated and results have been verified in MATLAB/Simulink.
  Keywords: wide range speed control; field weakening; PMSM; permanent magnet synchronous motor; MATLAB/Simulink; PI; proportional integral; FO-PI; fractional order proportional integral; HEV; hybrid electric vehicle.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2026.10073173