Exact solutions to a class of feedback systems on SO(n)

This paper provides a novel approach to the problem of attitude tracking for a class of almost globally asymptotically stable feedback laws on SO(n). The closed-loop systems are solved exactly for the rotation matrices as explicit functions of time, the initial conditions, and the gain parameters of the control laws. The exact solutions provide insight into the transient dynamics of the system and can be used to prove almost global attractiveness of the identity matrix. Applications of these results are found in model predictive control problems where detailed insight into the transient attitude dynamics is utilized to approximately complete a task of secondary importance. Knowledge of the future trajectory of the states can also be used as an alternative to the zero-order hold in systems where the attitude is sampled at discrete time instances. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.