Handbook

Control systems are ubiquitous in modern technologies, ensuring that they can perform the tasks that they are designed to do in the presence of noise and uncertainties, as well as in a variety of environmental conditions. Most modern technologies cannot function without their control systems.

This course gives an introduction to modern control theory that is based on the state-space approach for continuous-time control systems. Although originally developed in the context of control engineering, state-space models and the state-space approach have found important applications in many other areas of science and engineering. The course will cover the foundations of state-space models and fundamental controller design methodologies based on these models. This includes the design of linear and nonlinear controllers and the use of methods based on modern convex optimisation. The connection of the theoretical component of the course to control engineering practice will be supported by a laboratory component, which involves completing a sequence of laboratory-based modules. Through these modules, students will learn to use MATLAB and MATLAB/Simulink as important software tools for the analysis, simulation and design of state-space control systems.