Design of Interval Fuzzy Type-2 Sliding Mode Tracking Controller for Robotic Manipulators

The remarkable features of hybrid SMC assisted with fuzzy systems supplying parameters of the controller have led to significant success of these control approaches, especially in the control of multi-input and multi-output nonlinear systems. The development of type-1 fuzzy systems to type-2 fuzzy systems has improved the performance of fuzzy systems due to the ability to model uncertainties in the expression of expert knowledge. Accordingly, in this paper, the basic approach of designing and implementing the interval type-2 fuzzy sliding mode control was proposed. According to the introduced systematic design procedure, complete optimal design of a type-2 fuzzy system structure was presented in providing sliding mode control parameters by minimizing tracking error and control energy. Based on the proposed method, the need for expert knowledge as the main challenge in designing fuzzy systems was eliminated. In addition, the possibility to limit the control outputs to deal with actuators’ saturation was made available. The control method was implemented on a six-degree-of-freedom robot manipulator that was exposed to severe external disturbances, and its performance was compared to a type-1 fuzzy system as well as to the conventional SMC. The achievements revealed improved performance of the combined control system of fuzzy sliding mode type-2 in comparison with its control counterparts.