Time-Optimal Control of Flexible Robots Made Robust Through Wave-Based Feedback

Abstract

This paper presents a new, robust, time-optimal control strategy for flexible manipulators controlled by acceleration-limited actuators. The strategy is designed by combining the well-known, open-loop, time-optimal solution with wave-based feedback control. The time-optimal solution is used to design a new launch wave input to the wave-based controller, allowing it to recreate the time-optimal solution when the system model is exactly known. If modeling errors are present or a real actuator is used, the residual vibrations, which would otherwise arise when using the time-optimal solution alone, are quickly suppressed due to the additional robustness provided by the wave-based controller. A proximal time-optimal response is still achieved. A robustness analysis shows that significant improvements can be achieved using wave-based control in conjunction with the time-optimal solution. The implications and limits are also discussed.