Intelligent Tracking Control of a Free-Flying Flexible Space Robot Manipulator

The end effector of a free-flying flexible space robot is tracked along a planar trajectory using inverse flexible dynamics control (IFDC) and fuzzy logic system adaptive control (FLSAC) strategies for comparison. The robot is required to track its end effector between two points in two-dimensional space while maintaining the orbiting rigid spacecraft at a fixed position in space. Simulation results show the IFDC strategy produces a trajectory that fails to reach its commanded final position by a large margin in both coordinates. The FLSAC strategy produces a more accurate trajectory closer to the commanded final position in both coordinates but at a greater computational time burden. Sporadic high magnitude driving torque “spikes” are experienced similar to the “bursting phenomenon” encountered with adaptive control systems. Spacecraft reactive translation and attitude disturbance is minimal in each case but slightly greater for IFDC. Notation