Improving regulation of a single-link flexible manipulator with strain feedback

This paper considers improving the tip regulation performance of a joint-PD controlled single-link flexible manipulator by introducing nonlinear strain feedback. The controller is developed by applying Lyapunov’s direct method. The stability of the closed-loop system is theoretically proven based on the partial differential equations (PDE’s) which govern the motion of the flexible robot, instead of using the traditional truncated models. The controller is very simple in its form, and only the measurements of joint angle, joint velocity, and strain of the bending beam are needed for implementation. The controller is very robust as well because it is independent of system parameters.