Robust Tracking Control of Piezo-Actuated Nanopositioning Stage Using Improved Inverse LSSVM Hysteresis Model and RST Controller

Nanopositioning technology is widely used in high-resolution applications. It often uses piezoelectric actuators due to their superior characteristics. However, piezoelectric actuators exhibit a hysteresis phenomenon that limits their positioning accuracy. To compensate for the hysteresis effect, developing an accurate hysteresis model of piezoelectric actuators is very important. This task is challenging, requiring some considerations of the multivalued mapping of hysteresis loops and the generalization capabilities of the model. This challenge can be dealt with by developing a machine learning-based model, whose inverse model can be used to efficiently design an accurate feedforward controller for hysteresis compensation. However, this approach depends on model accuracy and the type of data used to train the model. Thus, accurate prediction of the hysteresis behavior may not be guaranteed in the presence of disturbances. In this paper, a machine learning-based model is used to design a hysteresis compensator and then combined with a robust feedback controller to enhance the robustness of a nanopositioning control system. The proposed model is based on hysteresis operators, the least square support vector machine (LSSVM) method, and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The inverse model is used to design the feedforward controller, and the RST controller is employed to develop feedback control. Our main contribution is the introduction of a hybrid controller capable of compensating for the hysteresis effect, and at the same time, eliminating remaining modeling errors and rejecting disturbances. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated through MATLAB simulation, as well as through real-time experiments. The experimental results of our approach demonstrate superior tracking performance compared with the PID-LSSVM controller.