Experimental study on a hybrid actuation system

A major challenge in developing next generation intelligent mechatronic systems lies in the complexity of integrating an enormous number of requirements including high performance, multi-functionality, low cost, and complicated physical structures. Hybridization is a promising approach for developing next generation intelligent mechatronic systems. In this paper, a hybrid actuation system is developed where a controllable servomotor and an uncontrollable constant velocity motor are integrated to form a closed-loop two degrees of freedom hybrid mechanism. An experimental prototype of the hybrid actuation system is built. To fulfill a desired trajectory tracking, a sophisticated control system is developed for controlling the hybrid actuation system. After that, experimental studies are conducted using the proposed control algorithm. Experimental results demonstrate the controllability of the hybrid actuation system and the effectiveness of the designed control algorithm. Finally, some issues for improving the tracking performance are discussed in this paper.