Fixed-Time Sliding Mode Control for Uncertain Robot Manipulators

This paper presents a novel fixed-time sliding mode control for the global fixed-time trajectory tracking of robot manipulators subject to uncertain dynamics and bounded external disturbances. A fixed-time sliding surface is proposed and a singularity-free fixed-time sliding mode control (SFSMC) is constructed. Lyapunov stability theory is employed to prove the global fixed-time stability ensuring that both the sliding variable and tracking errors converge globally to the origin within a fixed time. The appealing advantages of the proposed control are that it is easy to implement with the global fixed-time tracking control for uncertain robot manipulators featuring with faster transient, higher steady-state tracking precision, and the settling time is independent of the initial states of robotic system. Extensive simulations and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and improved performances of the proposed approach.