Author Description

The maneuver regulation (or path following) problem has received considerable attention in the control literature where feedback linearization has proven an effective approach to solving the problem. This thesis presents a general synthesis method for designing path following controllers for a class of systems using the concept of transverse feedback linearization. The relationship between maneuver regulation, transverse feedback linearization, and zero dynamics is explored. An output stabilization problem is solved, which under suitable conditions, also solves a maneuver regulation problem.