Data-driven model reference control design by prediction error identification

Abstract This paper deals with Data-Driven (DD) control design in a Model Reference (MR) framework. We present a new DD method for tuning the parameters of a controller with a fixed structure. Because the method originates from embedding the control design problem in the Prediction Error identification of an optimal controller, it is baptized as Optimal Controller Identification (OCI). Incorporating different levels of prior information about the optimal controller leads to different design choices, which allows to shape the bias and variance errors in its estimation. It is shown that the limit case where all available prior information is incorporated is tantamount to model-based design. Thus, this methodology also provides a framework in which model-based design and DD design can be fairly and objectively compared. This comparison reveals that DD design essentially outperforms model-based design by providing better bias shaping, except in the full order controller case, in which there is no bias and model-based design provides smaller variance. The practical effectiveness of the design methodology is illustrated with experimental results.