In this paper, finite-time boundedness and stabilization problems for a class of switched linear systems with time-varying exogenous disturbances are studied. Firstly, the concepts of finite-time stability and finite-time boundedness are extended to switched linear systems. Then, based on matrix inequalities, some sufficient conditions under which the switched linear systems are finite-time bounded and uniformly finite-time bounded are given. Moreover, to solve the finite-time stabilization problem, stabilizing controllers and a class of switching signals are designed. The main results are proven by using the multiple Lyapunov-like functions method, the single Lyapunov-like function method and the common Lyapunov-like function method, respectively. Finally, three examples are employed to verify the efficiency of the proposed methods.
The biped robot with flat feet and fixed ankles walking down a slope is a typical impulsive dynamic system. Steady passive gaits for such mechanism can be induced on certain shallow slopes without actuation. The steady gaits can be described by using stable non-smooth limit cycles in phase plane. In this paper, it is shown that the robot gaits are affected by three parameters, namely the ground slope, the length of the foot, and the mass ratio of the robot. As the ground slope is gradually increased, the gaits exhibit universal period doubling bifurcations leading to chaos. Meanwhile, the phenomena of period doubling bifurcations also occur by increasing either the foot length or the mass ratio of the robot. Theory analysis and numerical simulations are given to verify our conclusion.