Two major challenges in networked control systems are the time-varying networked-induced delays and the packet losses. To alleviate these problems, this study presents a novel fuzzy sliding mode controller, where a fuzzy system is used to estimate the nonlinear dynamical system online, and the networked-induced delay is handled by Pade approximation. The problem of packet losses is handled by viewing them as large time-varying delays in the system. The sliding mode-based design procedure used ensures the stability and the robustness of the proposed controller in the presence of disturbances and time-varying networked-induced time delays.

Using an appropriate Lyapunov function, it is proved that the tracking error converges to the neighborhood of zero asymptotically. Furthermore, since the adaptation laws of the parameters are derived by using of the Lyapunov function, these laws are also found to be stable. Simulation results show that the proposed fuzzy sliding mode controller is capable of controlling nonlinear dynamical systems over a network, which is subject to bounded external disturbances, time-varying network-induced delays, and packet losses with adequate performance.