Fuzzy learning tracking control of feed-supporting system for the square kilometre array

The square kilometer array (SKA) is an ambitious world cooperation project to develop the next generation large radiotelescope. In Chinese engineering concept, the feed-supporting system is comprised of two parallel manipulators to realize the high precision tracking, which can be viewed as macro-micro manipulators. An independent tracking control strategy of the feed-supporting system is proposed, the dynamic coupling between the two comprising subsystems is considered as an external disturbance to the micro-system, and a high robust model reference learning controller (FMRLC) in joint space is designed to reject this coupling effect, along with any other disturbances, so that a higher tracking precision can be obtained. The effectiveness of this FMRLC is verified by numerical simulations, which has laid a solid base for the engineering accomplishment of high precision tracking for the SKA.