Performance-Guaranteed Finite-Time Tracking for Uncertain Strict-Feedback Nonlinear Systems

This brief addresses the problem of finite-time tracking control with prescribed performance for uncertain strict-feedback nonlinear systems. Firstly, the prescribed performance control methodology is employed to ensure desirable transient and steady-state performance of the tracking error. Then, novel integral sliding mode control techniques are utilized to achieve finite-time exact tracking while ensuring boundedness of all closed-loop signals. This approach outperforms existing relevant works that can only guarantee practical finite-time stability or asymptotic tracking. The main theoretical challenge lies in how to guarantee the occurrence of sliding motion within a finite time under the coexistence of unknown nonlinearities and bounded uncertainties. To tackle this challenge, a class of skillful time-varying functions is derived from the derivative of the novel Lyapunov-like energy functions. Finally, the effectiveness and validity of the main results are demonstrated through numerical simulations on practical examples.