M2 : Observability and observer design for hybrid systems

Elena De Santis

Univ. of L’Aquila

11/02/2008 – 15/02/2008

In many application domains, hybrid controller synthesis problems are addressed by assuming full hybrid state information, although in many realistic situations state measurements are not available. Hence, to make hybrid controller synthesis relevant, the design of hybrid state observers is of fundamental importance. Moreover in many cases, e.g. in communication systems or in fault detection, algorithms for state estimation are important by themselves. Observability has been extensively studied both in the continuous and in the discrete state domains. More recently, various researchers investigated observability of hybrid systems. The definitions of observability and the criteria for assessing this property varied depending on the class of systems under consideration and on the knowledge that is assumed at the output. We believe that observability for hybrid systems is an important research topic that offers opportunities to the control community.

The module "Observability and observer design for hybrid systems" addresses

the following questions:

1. Definition of the hybrid framework;

2. Observability and detectability notions in literature;

3. Observability and detectability conditions;

4. Hybrid state space reduction based on detectability and relation with bisimulation equivalence;

5. Observer design;

6. Output feedback control of hybrid systems.

/ Elena De Santis was born in Lucoli (AQ) on June 20th, 1959. She obtained the degree (summa cum laude) of Electrical Engineering from the University of L'Aquila in 1983. From 1987 to 1998 she has been Assistant Professor at the University of L'Aquila, where she is currently Associate Professor of Optimal Control.
Elena De Santis has published papers in the following research areas:Analysis Control and Optimization of constrained dynamic systems, Dynamic model management for Decision Support Systems, Analysis and Control of uncertain systems, Positive Systems, Dynamic games, Hybrid and switching systems.
She contributed to a number of Research Projects (PRIN 2001, HYBRIDGE, HYCON). In Center of Excellence DEWS (Architectures and DEsign methodologies for embedded controllers, Wireless interconnected and System-on-chip) she is group leader of the Research Line: Control of Hybrid Systems with Safety Specifications.She has the scientific responsibility of the project RELACS (REgulated Lane ACcess & Safety), funded by University of L'Aquila, and of the project: Constrained control of hybrid systems, funded by Ministero degli Esteri (Italy), executive scientific and technological cooperation program, between Maroc and Italy, 2004-2006.