Fuzzy variable structure control for trajectory tracking of two-link flexible manipulators

According to the existing problems of flexible manipulator control, a kind of fuzzy variable structure controller based on the principle of sliding-mode variable structure control is proposed by well considered both the dynamic and static control properties of the system. Fuzzy variable structure is a hybrid controller that uses fuzzy logic to eliminate chattering phenomenon that is inherent to a sliding-mode variable structure control system. Because the designed fuzzy controller in this paper is a single-input and single-output controller, and the corresponding fuzzy control rules are few, so the approach is very simple for real-time implementation. At last, the control method is verified by computer simulations, based on the dynamics model of a two-link flexible manipulator. Simulation results indicate that the control system exhibits perfect control effects on chattering-reducing and trajectory-tracking.