End-point position control of a single-link arm using shape memory alloy actuators

This article presents a novel type of actuating mechanism for the end-point trajectory control of a single-link system. The actuating mechanism consists of two sets of shape memory alloy (SMA) springs to generate a desired link motion of the system. The governing equation of motion is derived using the Lagrangian equation and Jacobian matrix. The actuator dynamic of the SMA spring is then empirically identified and incorporated into the governing equation. A sliding mode controller that is robust to parameter variations Such as the time constant of the SMA actuator is formulated to achieve desired end-point trajectories of the single-link system. The controller is experimentally realized and tracking control performances for various end-point position trajectories are presented. In addition, the simulated control results are compared with the measured ones in order to validate the proposed control model.