Robust Control of Three-Dimensional Compliant Mechanisms

Position control and vibration damping of flexible-link mechanisms are still challenging open issues in robotics. Finding solutions for these problems can lead to improvement in the operation and accuracy of the manipulators. In this paper, the synthesis of robust controllers based on H-infinity loop shaping and l-synthesis for both position control and vibration damping in a spatial flexible L-shape mechanism with gravity is presented. The design of the controllers is based on the evaluation of an uncertainty model which takes into account a +/- 20% uncertainty in the elasticity and mass density of the links. The response of each controller is tested also in the presence of external disturbances with the aid of highly accurate numerical simulations; furthermore, a comparison between the robust performances of synthesized controllers is presented in order to show the effectiveness of synthesized control systems.