Simplified Sliding Mode Control of a Single-Link Planar Robot

Robotic technologies are becoming more advanced and are becoming more popular. Requirements are high levels of accuracy and operational speed, such as in surgery and manufacturing. These targets were highly challenging and could be enhanced by employing suitable control systems. Nonlinear control schemes were characterised by high accuracy and robustness, but by high computational time. Hence, the study simplified the Sliding Mode Control (SMC) scheme for a single link planar robot and was referred to as the Simplified Sliding Mode Control (RSMC), which was compared with the normal version referred to as Normal Sliding Mode Control (NSMC) and the gain scheduling based Proportional Derivative Control (GPDC). The effect considered was friction, and it was limited to simulation studies conducted using the SIMULINK/MATLAB software. Results showed that the proposed controller, RSMC, has an algorithm length that is at least 50% shorter than that of the NSMC, with a simplicity similar to that of the GPDC. Results also indicated achieving a settling time of 1.5s, a rise time of 0.8s, 0% overshoot, and a cumulative error of about 250, maintaining the same results with disturbance. The system with the NSMC showed the corresponding parameters as 2.0s, 1.8s, 0% and 260, respectively, without disturbance, and as 3s, 3s, 0% and 310, respectively, with disturbance. It therefore implied that a shorter RSMC algorithm means lower execution time. The RSMC showed superior performance, indicating higher accuracy, operational speed and robustness.