Experimental control of a single-link flexible robot arm using energy shaping
Flexible-link robotic manipulators are mechanical devices whose control can be rather challenging among other reasons because of their intrinsic under-actuated nature. This paper presents the application of an energy-based control design methodology (the so-called IDA-PBC, interconnection and damping assignment passivity-based control) to a single-link flexible robotic arm. It is shown that the method is well suited to handle this kind of under-actuated device not only from a theoretical viewpoint but also in practice. A Lyapunov analysis of the closed-loop system stability is given and the design performance is illustrated by means of a set Of Simulations and laboratory control experiments, comparing the results with those obtained using conventional control schemes for mechanical manipulators.
flexible robotic arms energy shaping passivity based control under-actuated systems