Dear Colleagues,

Nonlinear incremental control is a branch of control methods that utilize a data-driven incremental model. It exploits sensor measurements online and can simultaneously reduce controller model dependency and robustness. The word incremental means the controllers are designed considering the variations of state, control, and control derivatives in one incremental time step. The first invented and most well-known incremental control method is the incremental nonlinear dynamic inversion (INDI). Both theoretical and practical research has shown superior robustness and easier implementation of INDI compared to its nonlinear dynamic inversion counterpart. Originating from INDI, various nonlinear incremental control methods have been developed in the past decade, including incremental backstepping, adaptive incremental control, incremental adaptive dynamic programming, etc. These nonlinear incremental control methods have also found their broad applications in various practical fields including, aerospace, robotics, and mechanical systems.

This Special Issue aims to welcome contributions to the theoretical and practical perspectives of incremental control, including but not limited to the following:

• Stability analysis;
• Robustness analysis;
• Novel controller design based on an incremental model;
• Novel applications of nonlinear incremental control.

Dr. Xuerui Wang
Dr. Erik-Jan Van Kampen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Actuators is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• nonlinear control
• incremental
• robustness
• data-driven