In this paper, an image measurement method using a high-speed imaging system is proposed for the evolution of crystal population sizes during cooling crystallization processes. Firstly, to resist the negative effect from solution stirring and particle motion during crystallization, a U-net network-based image processing method is established to efficiently detect sufficiently clear crystals from the online captured microscopic images. Accordingly, the crystal size distribution model is analyzed in terms of the counted probability densities of these crystal images. Subsequently, a measurement method of size growth rate based on crystal population distribution is proposed to estimate the growth condition. An experimental case on a crystallization process of β-form LGA is used to show the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

In this paper, a composite control framework integrating feedback linearization, an extended state observer, and an adaptive fractional-order sliding-mode controller is presented for autonomous underwater vehicles operating under uncertain hydrodynamics and external disturbances. The proposed algorithm, named adaptive fractional-order sliding-mode control with extended state observer, aims to enhance trajectory-tracking accuracy, disturbance rejection, and robustness against model uncertainties beyond what is offered by conventional active disturbance rejection control and integer-order sliding-mode control. First, a fractional-order sliding surface with an extended state observer is introduced to estimate and compensate lumped disturbances, where the fractional operator provides intrinsic filtering and memory effects to reduce chattering. Second, an adaptive exponential reaching law with smooth switching is formulated to overcome the trade-off between convergence speed and chattering, and a Levant differentiator is employed for sensorless velocity estimation. Finally, the uniform ultimate boundedness of the closed-loop system is proved via Lyapunov stability theory. Comparative simulation studies on step, sinusoidal, and circular trajectories under external disturbances, measurement noise, and 50% parametric uncertainties demonstrate that the proposed controller achieves zero overshoot, suppresses position fluctuations by 97%, and reduces root mean square tracking errors by 38–70% relative to conventional methods, confirming its superior performance.

With the rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, quadrotor UAVs have demonstrated extensive application potential in various fields. However, due to parameter uncertainties and strong coupling, the flight attitude of quadrotors is prone to external disturbances, posing challenges for achieving precise control and stable flight. In this paper, we address the tracking control problem under unknown command rate variations by proposing a Modified Linear Active Disturbance Rejection Control (LADRC) strategy, aiming to enhance flight stability and anti-disturbance capability in complex environments. First, based on the attitude dynamics model of quadrotors, an LADRC technique is adopted to realize three-channel decoupling-free control. By integrating a parameter estimator, the proposed method can compensate unknown disturbances in real time, thereby improving the system’s anti-disturbance ability and dynamic response performance. Second, to further enhance system robustness, a linear extended state observer (LESO) is designed to accurately estimate the tracking error rate and total disturbances. Additionally, a Levant differentiator is introduced to replace the traditional differentiation component for optimizing the response speed of command rate. Finally, a modified LADRC controller incorporating error rate estimation is constructed. Simulation results validate that the proposed scheme maintains good tracking accuracy under high-frequency disturbances, providing an effective solution for stable UAV flight in complex scenarios. Compared with traditional control methods, the modified LADRC strategy exhibits significant advantages in tracking performance, anti-disturbance capability, and dynamic response. This research not only offers a novel perspective and solution for quadrotor control problems but also holds important implications for improving UAV performance and reliability in practical applications.

UAV path planning in complex static 3D environments involves multiple conflicting objectives and intricate constraints. However, when applied to highly constrained path planning tasks, MOWOA often suffers from a low proportion of feasible solutions, convergence instability, single-leader search bias, and an uneven distribution of Pareto solutions. To address these issues, this study formulates the UAV path planning problem as a multi-objective optimization problem that simultaneously considers path length, threat cost, smoothness cost, and altitude cost, and proposes an improved multi-leader multi-objective whale optimization algorithm (IML-MOWOA). The proposed IML-MOWOA progressively improves three key stages of the optimization process: initial population construction, search guidance, and external archive maintenance. Specifically, an adaptive opposition-based learning initialization strategy is first introduced to improve the feasibility and spatial coverage of initial paths. Based on the resulting non-dominated solution set, a grid-based external archive update strategy is then used to regulate solution density and provide representative candidate leaders from sparse Pareto regions. Subsequently, a multi-leader dynamic weighted search mechanism with Softmax-based cosine annealing integrates these leaders into the WOA update process, thereby enhancing multi-directional path exploration and alleviating premature convergence. Comparative experiments conducted in three static 3D environments of varying complexity demonstrate that the proposed method achieves more robust convergence, better Pareto-front distribution, and more balanced task-level path quality than the benchmark algorithms. In the most challenging scenario, IML-MOWOA achieves the highest number of feasible paths, reduces the mean IGD by 25.04%, and decreases the mean path length, threat cost, smoothness cost, and altitude cost by 1.65%, 28.45%, 53.23%, and 29.88%, respectively, compared with the best-performing competing algorithm for each metric. These results indicate that the proposed algorithm is effective and robust for constrained multi-objective UAV path planning in complex static 3D environments.

Residual vibration of industrial manipulators can limit positioning efficiency and dynamic accuracy during high-speed motion. This study develops an integrated vibration-suppression framework for a rigid-link manipulator with flexible-joint dynamics. A controller-oriented rigid–flexible model with lumped disturbances is established, and a disturbance observer (DOB) is employed as the inner-loop compensation layer under a small-gain robustness constraint. On the compensated nominal model, partial eigenstructure assignment (PESA) selectively increases the damping of the retained flexible modes while preserving the rigid-body eigenstructure associated with trajectory tracking. A pose-dependent gain-scheduling mechanism further updates the PESA feedback gain to accommodate configuration-dependent modal-frequency variation. Numerical comparisons with conventional PID, standalone DOB, and standalone PESA demonstrate improved residual-vibration attenuation and settling behavior. Hardware tests on an Aubo i5 manipulator, with 16-channel responses directly acquired under the respective control configurations, further show an approximately 80% reduction in the representative low-frequency vibration amplitude relative to the PID baseline under the considered operating condition.