Model Predictive Control of a Flexible Links Mechanism

Vibration suppression in flexible link manipulator is a recurring problem in most robotic applications. Solving this problem would allow to increase many times both the operative speed and the accuracy of manipulators. In this paper an innovative controller for flexible-links mechanism based on MPC (Model Predictive Control) with constraints is proposed. So far this kind of controller has been employed almost exclusively for controlling slow processes, like chemical plants, but the authors' aim is to show that this approach can be successfully adapted to plants whose dynamical behavior is both nonlinear and fast changing. The effectiveness of this control system will be compared to the performance obtained with a classical industrial control. The reference mechanism chosen to evaluate the effectiveness of this control strategy is a four-link closed loop planar mechanism laying on the horizontal plane driven by a torque-controlled electric actuator.