Position control of two-link flexible manipulator using low chattering SMC techniques

In this paper an attempt is made to control a angular position of the two-link flexible manipulator with slowly varying parameter uncertainties.The lumped parameter model is used throughout the work for obtaining the manipulator dynamics. The problem of controlling the positrion is achieved by using two low chattering sliding mode control (SMC) techniques. The techniques are: Proportional integral (PI) SMC and asymptotic SMC. The importance of these techniques is that chattering is attenuated even in first order SMC and in presence of bounded unknown disturbances including uncertainties associated with the plant. The proposed technique are examined under bounded unknown disturbances and slowly time varying uncertainties in system parameters. Comparison of the performances of the two control techniques are also highlighted.