End-Point Controller Design for an Experimental Two-Link Flexible Manipulator using Convex Optimization

Recent results in linear controller design are used to design an end-point controller for an experimental two-link flexible manipulator. A nominal 14 state LQG controller was augmented with a 528 tap FIR filter designed using convex optimization techniques. The resulting 278 state controller produced improved end-point trajectory tracking and disturbance rejection in both simulation and experimentally in real-time.