Use of memristive chaotic signal as a desired trajectory for a two-link flexible manipulator using contraction theory based on a composite control technique

Abstract Flexible manipulators are being considered as bench mark control problem in the field of nonlinear dynamics. Many of their inherent advantages create challenges while dealing with the dynamics. Tracking control and vibration suppression are two main control problems considered. In this paper a composite controller is designed for the memristive chaotic system signal as trajectory tracking control of a two-link flexible robot manipulator. The dynamics of the flexible manipulator is modelled by using assumed modes method and divided into two subsystems using the singular perturbation technique. The subsystems are called as the slow subsystem involving rigid dynamics of the manipulator and the fast sub-system which incorporates flexible dynamics of the manipulator. Separate control techniques are designed for each subsystem. Contraction theory based controllers are designed for the slow sub-system and fast subsystem for fast trajectory tracking of signal of a memristive chaotic system and quick suppression of the link deflections. The simulation results confirm the better performances of the proposed composite technique.