Robust global fast terminal sliding mode controller for rigid robotic manipulators

A global fast terminal sliding mode controller (GFTSMC) is proposed for n-link rigid robot manipulators by employing the fast terminal sliding mode control concept in both the reaching phase and the sliding phase. Under the control, the system states will reach the terminal sliding manifold in a desired finite time and then converge to the origin along the sliding manifold in a specified finite time, resulting in reduced steady tracking error in comparison with the linear sliding mode controller. The proposed sliding mode controller is continuous and therefore is chattering-free. An example is shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of the controller.