Adaptive proportional–integral–derivative tuning sliding mode control for a shape memory alloy actuator

In this paper, a novel adaptive sliding mode control with a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) tuning method is proposed to control a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator. The goal of the controller is to achieve system robustness against the SMA hysteresis phenomenon, system uncertainties and external disturbances. In the controller, the PID controller is employed to approximate the sliding mode equivalent control along the direction that makes the sliding mode asymptotically stable. Due to the system nonlinearity, the PID control gain parameters are systematically computed online according to the adaptive law. To improve the transient performance, the initial PID gain parameters are optimized by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the controller performs well for the desired trajectory tracking, and the hysteresis phenomenon is compensated for completely. The control results are also compared with the optimized PID controller.