Regulation of a one-link flexible robot arm using sliding-mode technique

This paper is concerned with the application of 'sliding control' to the regulation of a one-link flexible robot arm, with an arbitrary number of flexible modes. Slidingmode technique is applied to achieve a robust feedback linearization of the highly non-linear dynamic equation of the arm. Pole placement is then used to attain good dynamic response. An example is given to demonstrate the potential of the sliding method. This work serves as a first step towards a practical solution in the feedback control of flexible arms using the sliding technique.