A robust neural controller for underwater robot manipulators

Presents a robust control scheme using a multilayer neural network with the error backpropagation learning algorithm. The multilayer neural network acts as a compensator of the conventional sliding mode controller to improve the control performance when initial assumptions of uncertainty bounds of system parameters are not valid. The proposed controller is applied to control a robot manipulator operating under the sea which has large uncertainties such as the buoyancy, the drag force, wave effects, currents, and the added mass/moment of inertia. Computer simulation results show that the proposed control scheme gives an effective path way to cope with those unexpected large uncertainties.