The goal of this work is to develop an expert, hierarchical control scheme that adapts its structure in accordance with its knowledge about the plant. When the process is poorly defined, a coarse control action is provided by a rule-based controller. The next stage of the controller is a multiple model adaptive control procedure that is chosen if the system identifies an approximate model of the process. The most precise control is determined by a model reference adaptive controller that is used if the sufficiency conditions ensuring its stability are satisfied. The heuristics used to determine switching between different controllers are orchestrated by an expert system that bases its decisions on plant state and controller parameter values. The controller structure is presented through an example of a regulator in a drug delivery system. Details regarding the sufficiency conditions for the advancement of the controller through the different stages are given.
American Control Conference, June, 1989, pp.13–18.