Abstract
In most adaptive backstepping control applications, systems are expressed in sets of equations and mathematical control theory is applied. Such an approach frequently loses the physical aspect of system properties and control performance. In this paper, by using bond graphs to analyze the energy interaction among subsystems, systematic procedures are developed to characterize the closed-loop system behavior from the open-loop bond-graph model. The results presented facilitate separation of design issues from realization issues through high-level abstraction, and establish a clear connection between model uncertainties and controller complexity.