A survey on fuzzy control for mechatronics applications

Fuzzy control has become one of the most effective tools for dealing with complex engineering processes. Over the years, research on fuzzy control systems has continuously evolved, witnessing numerous theoretical contributions and successful real-world achievements. The concept of model-free or data-driven fuzzy control was initially introduced with specific heuristics incorporated into the design. Due to the lack of a systematic framework for stability analysis in model-free fuzzy control, the significance of model-based fuzzy control has grown extensively. This approach ensures systematic design based on precise fuzzy models of the process. This survey focuses on the fundamental aspects of three prominent classes of fuzzy control. First, the paper commences with a review of Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy control systems. This includes discussions on stability analysis and controller design, exploring techniques to derive less conservative and/or complex results from a numerical burden perspective. Second, various aspects of data-driven fuzzy control are analysed in detail including a classification of the most popular data-driven control techniques and their combination with fuzzy control; a representative Iterative Feedback Tuning-based fuzzy controller is described. Third, this survey explores the fundamental aspects of evolving fuzzy control, with a particular emphasis on the significance of stability and control laws, which are not usually the primary focus of evolving intelligent systems research. For each discussed class of fuzzy control, the paper provides a selective list of mechatronics applications to illustrate their performance effectiveness, emphasising research papers published after 2011. Finally, drawing from recent advances in fuzzy control theory and mechatronics applications, future research directions and associated challenges are discussed.