Nonlinear 𝛨2 control of a low-bandwidth active vehicle suspension system using Takagi-Sugeno methods

In this contribution, we make use of the Takagi-Sugeno (TS) system representation of a mechatronic vehicle suspension to design an overall nonlinear controller based on linear control methods. Linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) design is employed to derive the feedback gains of a parallel distributed compensator (PDC). The 𝛨₂ controller synthesis problem is formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMI), which are successfully numerically solved. Using stochastic disturbance inputs, the concept is studied in comparison to benchmark controllers in simulations and experiments on a quarter-vehicle test rig, which features semi-active and low-bandwidth active force actuators.