Control of Flexible Beam with Unmodelled Dynamics Using Second-Order Pole Placement and LQR Techniques

Abstract

Control of a flexible beam such as that in flexible-link robot manipulators in many mechanical devices is very challenging, due in part to its intrinsic nature of unmodelled dynamics in a system. Such a system is said to be subjected to nonholonomic constraints, hence its feedback control is difficult to realize. This paper presents the application of control design based on second-order pole placement and LQR approaches to a single-link flexible robotic arm. In this case, a controller considering the flexibility of highly-flexible arm is employed to suppress the tip vibration of the manipulator. The effectiveness of the method is verified through computer simulations and consequently, the adequateness of the control performance and the feasibility of the system with a super-light link are shown.