Hybrid Control Scheme for Robust Tracking of Two-Link Flexible Manipulator

A hybrid control scheme is proposed to stabilize the vibration of a two-link flexible manipulator while robustness of Variable Structure Control (VSC) developed for rigid manipulators is maintained for controlling the joint angles. The VSC law alone, which is designed to accomplish only the asymptotic decoupled joint angle trajectory tracking, does not guarantee the stability of the flexible mode dynamics of the links. In order to actively suppress the flexible link vibrations, hybrid trajectories for the VSC are generated using the virtual control force concept, so that robust tracking control of the flexible-link manipulator can also be accomplished. Simulation results confirm that the proposed hybrid control scheme can achieve more robust tracking control of two-link flexible manipulator than the conventional control scheme in the presence of payload uncertainty.