Fractional Order Internal Model Control Strategies for a Submerged Nanorobot

Abstract

Fractional calculus is a well-known tool that improves the closed loop performance of processes when compared to integer order approaches. The study presents a generalization of the popular Internal Model Control (IMC) strategy for fractional order processes of any complexity. The controller is based on the inverse fractional order transfer function to which a fractional order filter is added. The velocity of a scalable nanorobot operating in submersed environments is the chosen process to exemplify the proposed control strategy. The Fractional Order Internal Model Control (FOIMC) is developed for the fractional dynamics of the robot. The validity of method is proved through simulations regarding reference tracking, disturbance rejection and robustness to gain variations.