Data-Driven Output Matching of Output-Generalized Bilinear and Linear Parameter-Varying systems

There is a growing interest in data-driven control of nonlinear systems over the last years. In contrast to related works, this paper takes a step back and aims to solve the output matching problem, a problem closely related to the reference tracking control problem, for a broader class of nonlinear systems called output-generalized bilinear, thereby offering a new direction to explore for data-driven control of nonlinear systems. It is shown that discrete time linear parameter-varying systems are included in this model class, with affine systems easily shown to also be included. This paper proposes a method to solve the output matching problem and offers a way to parameterize the solution set with a minimal number of parameters. The proposed model class and method are illustrated using simulations of two real-life systems.