Robust tracking control of a flexible manipulator with limited control input based on backstepping and the Nussbaum...

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Control Systems Engineering
• Mechatronics

Background:

• Flexible manipulators are essential automated devices but suffer from external disturbances and actuator control limitations.
• These limitations significantly degrade the precision of tracking control in flexible manipulator systems.
• Existing control strategies often struggle to maintain performance under these combined challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an effective attitude tracking control strategy for flexible manipulators.
• To address the challenges posed by external disturbances and control input limitations.
• To improve the precision and robustness of flexible manipulator control systems.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the backstepping method for precise state tracking and disturbance rejection.
• Employed a Nussbaum function-based design to overcome control input limitations in actuators.
• Conducted comparative numerical simulations in MATLAB/Simulink for validation.

Main Results:

• The proposed control strategy demonstrated effective attitude tracking despite external disturbances.
• The Nussbaum function successfully mitigated the impact of control input limitations.
• Simulations confirmed the robustness and reliability of the control approach.

Conclusions:

• The combined backstepping and Nussbaum function approach provides a robust solution for flexible manipulator control.
• This strategy enhances performance in the presence of significant external disturbances and actuator constraints.
• The findings contribute to more reliable and precise operation of flexible robotic systems.