Members of the defense committee:
- Prof. Dr -Ing. Jean-Regis HADJI-MINAGLOU, University of Luxembourg, chairman
- Prof. Dr Carlos Manuel ASTORGA ZARAGOZA, Centro Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico (CENIDET), vice-chairman
- Prof. Dr -Ing. Holger VOOS, University of Luxembourg, supervisor
- Prof. Dr Mohamed DAROUACH, Université de Lorraine, member
- A-Prof. Dr Marouane ALMA, Université de Lorraine, member
- Prof. Dr -Ing. Antoine FERREIRA, INSA Centre Val de Loire, member
Abstract: In the last decade, the industry of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) has gone through immense growth and diversification. Nowadays, we find drone based applications in a wide range of industries, such as infrastructure, agriculture, transport, among others. This phenomenon has generated an increasing interest in the field of aerial manipulation. However, the restriction on the available payload is one of the main setbacks of this approach. In the pursuit of providing an alternative lightweight solution for the aerial manipulators, this thesis proposes a lightweight robotic arm actuated by Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires.
Seeking to present a solution for the challenging task of controlling SMA wires, this work investigates the implications and advantages of the implementation of state feedback control techniques. The final aim of this study is the experimental implementation of a state feedback control for position regulation of the proposed lightweight robotic arm.
Firstly, a mathematical model based on a constitutive model of the SMA wire is developed. This model describes the dynamics of the proposed lightweight robotic arm from a mechatronics perspective and is experimentally validated. Three different output feedback controllers for angular position control are tested in simulation and experimentally in various different scenarios.
Following, in order to perform the experimental implementation of a state feedback control technique, a state and unknown input observer is developed. First, a non-switching observable model with unknown input of the proposed robotic arm is derived from the model previously presented. Then, a state and unknown input observer is proposed. Sufficient conditions for stability and convergence are provided. The observer is tested and experimentally validated in various different scenarios.
Finally, a state feedback control technique is experimentally implemented for angular position control of the proposed lightweight robotic arm. Specifically, continuous and discrete-time State-Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE) control laws are derived and implemented. To conclude, a quantitative and qualitative comparative analysis between an output feedback control approach and the implemented state feedback control is carried out under multiple scenarios.