Finite-time tracking control and vibration suppression based on the concept of virtual control force for flexible two-link space robot

The dynamic modeling, finite-time trajectory tracking control and vibration suppression of a flexible two-link space robot are studied. Firstly, the dynamic model of the system is established by combining Lagrange method with assumed mode method. In order to ensure that the base attitude and the joints of space robot can reach the desired positions within a limited time, a non-singular fast terminal sliding mode (NFTSM) controller is designed, which realizes the finite-time convergence of the trajectory tracking errors. Subsequently, for the sake of suppressing the vibrations of flexible links, a hybrid trajectory based on the concept of the virtual control force is developed, which can reflect the flexible modes and the trajectory tracking errors simultaneously. By modifying the original control scheme, a NFTSM hybrid controller is proposed. The hybrid control scheme can not only realized attitude stabilization and trajectory tracking of joints in finite time, but also provide a new method of vibration suppression. The simulation results verify the effectiveness of the designed hybrid control strategy. ? 2020 China Ordnance Society. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).