Robust Binary Control of Robotic Systems

Abstract

In the area of robust control, both the well-known Variable Structure approach and its more recent generalization referred as Binary Control Theory present interesting methodological properties but also some applicative inconveniences. Among major drawbacks, practical implementations of these control algorithms show undesirable chattering behaviour — for Variable Structure System — or continuous oscillations — for Binary Control — on the system variables. In this paper, experimental results obtained applying a new control technique to the control of a robotic system are reported and discussed. The main advantage of this technique, based on a Sliding Mode regulator with an additional switching integral action, is that an arbitrary reduction of the chattering phenomenon can be achieved maintaining the robustness properties of the Sliding Mode approach. The results are encouraging and comparatively interesting.