Output regulation via input-output data
It addresses the practical problem of rejecting unknown disturbances in linear systems when a model is unavailable, which is relevant for control engineers dealing with data-driven approaches.
The paper solves the output regulation problem for MIMO discrete-time linear systems using only input-output data affected by unknown exosignals, without requiring a system model. The controller is designed via a semidefinite program on an auxiliary system, and its effectiveness is rigorously transferred to the original system.
From a multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) discrete-time linear system, we collect input-output data affected by noise in the form of an unknown exosignal and, from these data points (without knowledge of the system model), we design a feedback controller that asymptotically annihilates the effect of that exosignal on the output. This amounts to solving an output regulation problem purely from input-output data, for MIMO linear systems. The design of the controller corresponds to a semidefinite program and is pursued on a suitable auxiliary system. Such design carries over from the auxiliary system to the original one by a rigorous examination of the relation between the solutions of the two systems.