Control of a one-link flexible manipulator via Lyapunov methods

A dynamic model and subsequent control strategy for a lightweight, flexible manipulator which rotates in the horizontal plane is presented. The model, which can be derived directly, is composed of a dominant deterministic component plus a small uncertain part which represents the effects of compliance. A stabilizing controller based on the model is designed via Lyapunov techniques to control the tip position of the link. The simplicity of the model and ease of controller design are emphasized. Also presented are computer simulation results which demonstrate the effectiveness of this model and control design methodology.