Adaptive fast terminal sliding mode tracking control of robotic manipulator

This paper proposes an adaptive fast terminal sliding mode tracking control for robotic manipulators. The upper bounds of system uncertainties are estimated through an adaptive mechanism and used for the design of the controller. In order to eliminate the chattering, a method of softening control is adopted. Meanwhile, the tracking precision problem of the fast terminal sliding mode control of the manipulator is explored. The mathematical relationship between the tracking precision of the system and the width of the saturation function used for elimination of chattering is formulated. Through the specification of the tracking precision, appropriate saturation functions can be designed. Simulation results are presented to validate the analysis