We show how thin planar piezoelectric actuators can be used for the robust regulation and trajectory tracking of flexible robots. The analysis is restricted to single-link flexible robot arms, having a planar 'sandwich' structure, constituted by two piezoelectric films, mounted on a thin elastic support. The motion of the structure can be approximately described by finite dimensional, linear, time-invariant equations. The proposed controller provides the regulation of the generalized coordinates, which describe the structure shape, to zero or to constant reference signals with zero steady-state error, and the tracking of ramp reference signals with a finite, arbitrarily bounded, steady-state error, even when variations of the structure parameters occur. Some simulation results are reported.
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