Servo control of an under actuated system using antagonistic shape memory alloy

This paper presents the design, modelling and, simulation and experimental results of a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator based critical motion control application. Dynamic performance of SMA and its ability in replacing servo motor is studied for which the famous open loop unstable balancing ball and beam system direct driven by antagonistic SMA is designed and developed. Simulation uses the mathematical model of ball and beam structure derived from the first principles and model estimated for the SMA actuator by system identification. A PID based cascade control system consisting of two loops is designed and control of ball trajectory for various target positions with settling time as control parameter is verified experimentally. The results demonstrate the performance of SMA for a complicated i.e., under actuated, highly nonlinear unstable system, and thereby it's dynamic behaviour. Control strategies bring out the effectiveness of the actuator and its possible application to much more complex applications such as in aerospace control and robotics.