He obtained his Electrical Engineering degree in 1970 from the University of Los Andes (Merida, Venezuela). He completed his postgraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass. USA) in 1974 where he held together, the titles of Master of Science in Electrical Engineer and Electrical Engineer. In 1977 he received a Doctorate (PhD) in Electrical Engineering from the Institute. Held the posts of Head of Control Systems from 1978 to 1980, the Administrative Vice Chancellor of University of the Andes during the period 1980-1984 and Head of the Graduate Faculty of Automatic Control Engineering 1992-1993.

1. Introduction
1.1 A Brief Historical Perspective on Active Disturbance Rejection Control
References
2. Generalities of ADRC
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Main Theoretical Issues
2.3 The Need for Flatness-Based ADRC Designs
2.4 Ultralocal Disturbance Models
References
3. Merging Flatness, GPI Observation and GPI Control with ADRC
3.1 Introduction
3.2 GPI Extended State Observer Design
3.3 An Observer-Based Approach to GPI Perturbation Rejection
3.4 The Buck Converter
3.5 Example: A Pendulum System
3.6 Two-Link Robot Manipulator
3.7 Nonholonomic Wheeled Car
3.8 Two-Mass Rectilinear Mechanism
3.9 Remarks
References
4. Extensions of ADRC
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Integral Reconstructors of MIMO Linear Systems
4.3 A Lyapunov Approach for a Class of Nonlinear Multivariable Systems
4.4 Combined Sliding-Mode-ADRC Controllers
4.5 ADRC and Sampled Systems: The Delta Operator Approach
4.6 Control of Time Delay Systems
4.7 Relations With Model-Free Control
4.8 Fractional-Order Systems
References
5. Case Studies
5.1 Introduction
5.2 A Two-Degree-of-Freedom Robotic Arm
5.3 An Omnidirectional Robot
5.4 A Single-Link Manipulator Driven by a Synchronous Motor
5.5 Nonlinear Pendulum System
5.6 The Thomson Ring
5.7 Trajectory Tracking Control of a Delta Robot
5.8 A Time-Delayed Flywheel System
5.9 Control of Robot Manipulators with Delayed Inputs
References
6. The Challenging Case of Underactuated Systems
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Controlling the Pendubot via Tangent Linearization
6.3 A Two-Mass Spring System with an Inverted Pendulum
6.4 Double Inverted Pendulum on a Cart
6.5 The Furuta Pendulum
6.6 The Ball-and-Beam System
6.7 Remarks
References
A. Differential Flatness
A.1 Definition of Flatness
A.2 Illustrative Examples
A.3 About the Advantages and Disadvantages of Flatness
A.4 Differential Flatness and Uncertainty
References
B. Generalized Proportional Integral Control
B.1 Definitions and Generalities
B.2 Generalized Proportional Integral Control and Classical Compensation Networks
B.3 An Illustrative Application Example
B.4 GPI Control for Discrete-Time Systems
B.5 A General Result for Multivariable Linear Systems
References
Index