NON-MODEL-BASED POSITION CONTROL OF A PLANAR MULTILINK FLEXIBLE ROBOT

This paper presents a class of non-model-based position controllers fo r a planar multi-link flexible robot. One can achieve not only the clo sed-loop stability of the original distributed parameter system, but a lso the asymptotic stability of the truncated system, which is obtaine d through representing the deflection of each link by an arbitrary fin ite number of flexible modes. The system dynamics (which are very comp licated in the case of a multi-link flexible robot) are not explicitly involved in the controller design and stability proof. Instead, only a very basic system energy relationship and the dynamic equations of a single-link flexible robot are utilised. The controllers possess seve ral remarkable advantages over traditional model-based ones. Numerical simulations are carried nut on a two-link flexible robot and satisfac tory results are obtained. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.