Pulse-Width-Modulation control of some mechanical systems

Pulse-Width-Modulation (PWM) control strategies have been of limited interest, and use, in the regulation of a large class of mechanical systems, such as robotic manipulators and rigid spacecrafts. The chattering associated to discontinuous bang-bang feedback control input signals has traditionally posed serious concerns when considering the selection of this robust and efficient control technique over some other smooth control alternatives. This article proposes a means of circumventing the inconveniences caused by the PWM control signal discontinuities in such a class of systems, while retaining the robust features of the PWM control approach.