Flexure control of a positioning system using piezoelectric transducers

This brief addresses the control problem of a structurally flexible positioning system by utilizing transducers made of Lead (Pb) Zirconate Titanate (PZT), commonly referred to as piezoelectric transducers, to act as actuator and sensor elements. The system possesses nonlinear dynamics and undesirable characteristics such as friction. The placement of PZT actuators on the flexible structure is studied and a nonlinear tracking control scheme augmented with a friction compensation term is developed. Experimental results are presented which illustrate the effectiveness of the control algorithm and improved performance of the controller as compared to the case where no secondary actuation is used.