Experimental Identification and Hybrid PID-Fuzzy Position Control of Continuum Robotic Arms

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Center of Excellence in Robotics and Control, Advanced Robotics & Automated Systems (ARAS) Laboratory Dept of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Continuum robotic arms that are inspired from nature, have many
advantages compared to traditional robots, which motivate researchers in
this field. Dynamic modeling and controlling these robots are challenging
subjects due to complicated nonlinearities and considerable uncertainties
existing in these structures. In this paper, first a dynamic three-dimensional
model of the continuum robotic arm is developed as a black-box model
through system identification method. The validity of the obtained model is
confirmed by the experimental data. Then, by using the obtained model, a
hybrid PID-fuzzy controller, which is considered as a model-free controller
and does not require the exact model of the system is employed for
controlling the position of the end-effector. Finally, obtained results and the
performance of the controller in reaching to different positions of the
workspace, either trained or not, is discussed.

Keywords