Fully Actuated System Approach: A New Framework for Control

This open access book presents a pioneering methodology for dynamic system control, offering a mathematically rigorous and practically effective alternative to conventional state-space models, given that the study of nonlinear control of complex multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems has faced significant challenges. 

Authored by the proposer of the Fully Actuated System (FAS) approach, this book volumes systematically establish a new paradigm for the analysis and design of dynamical control systems. Unlike traditional state-space methods—where control vectors cannot be explicitly solved—the FAS approach provides a model in which control vectors can be fully or partially determined, significantly enhancing control precision and system performance. Since its introduction, the FAS methodology has attracted substantial attention within the global control community and has demonstrated superior capabilities in managing nonlinear control problems.

Key Contributions:

• A novel theoretical framework that advances nonlinear feedback control, addressing long-standing unresolved issues.
• A structured, multi-volume exposition, covering Global FAS, Sub-FAS, and Unidirectionally Connected FAS, each building on the preceding concepts.
• Comprehensive theoretical foundations with rigorous derivations, controller design methodologies, and practical implementation strategies.
• Broad applicability, providing researchers with a robust analytical toolset and equipping control engineers with advanced techniques for real-world system development.

This work constitutes a seminal reference for scholars in control theory, nonlinear systems, and applied engineering, offering both a foundational introduction and an advanced framework for research and industrial application.

Prof. Guang-Ren Duan is the founder and the director of the Center for Control Theory and Guidance Technology at Harbin Institute of Technology, and the Center for Control Science and Technology at the Southern University of Science and Technology. His pioneering contributions to fully actuated system (FAS) theory have significantly advanced nonlinear control design, addressing long-standing challenges in multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system control.

Prof. Duan is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of IEEE, IET, and the Chinese Association of Automation (CAA). He has authored and co-authored five books and over 500 SCI-indexed publications, with his research spanning parametric control system design, descriptor systems, spacecraft control, and magnetic bearing control. In 2021, he introduced the FAS approach for nonlinear control, laying the foundation for a novel paradigm in the field. He subsequently established the Technical Committee on FAS Theory and Applications (CAA) and launched the Annual Conference on Fully Actuated System Theory and Applications (FASTA), which has rapidly gained international recognition, attracting over 610 participants in 2024.

Prof. Duan has delivered plenary lectures at more than 40 international conferences, including the IEEE ARM 2020, IEEE ICRA 2021, IEEE IECON 2023, SICE-ICASE 2006, SICE 2014, IFAC TDS 2021, CCC 2021, and CAC 2024.