Implementation of frequency-shaped tip reference in conjunction with learning controller for improved tip-tracking control

Abstract

In the flexible manipulator control, tip-tracking control of flexible manipulator results in non-colocated control problem, which has a non-minimum phase dynamic characteristic. The level of tip-tracking performance in the non-colocated control system depends on the characteristics of the tip reference trajectory to be followed, as well as on the characteristics of the flexible manipulator system itself. In a previous research the use of a tip reference trajectory, filtered by a properly designed time-delay command shaping filter, has been proposed and a multirate repetitive learning control (MRLC) has been used as the tip-tracking controller. The practical implementation of this approach, however, requires estimation of the tip position, which is not easy to obtain. In this paper, a practical implementation of the approach is considered and the tip position is estimated with a fourth-order Kalman filter. The experimental results show that, with the use of Kalman filter, the proposed scheme results in a drastic reduction in residual tip vibrations and the required actuation effort.