Sliding mode control design of an electrostatic microactuator using LPV schemes

This paper presents preliminary results of a robust linear parameter varying (LPV)-based sliding mode voltage controller for a parallel-plate electro-static microactuator. The controller design aims to extend the travelling range of the microactuator plates beyond the, so-called, `pull-in' condition, thus taking advantage of an increased range of operation. The designed controller is successful in extending the microactuator's plates operation beyond the pull-in condition with moderate controller complexity, while guaranteeing robustness against matched uncertainty. Results illustrate, that the controller also provides a degree of robustness to unmatched uncertainty (i.e. spring stiffness variation). Appropriate simulation studies, on the nonlinear normalized microactuator model, are employed to assess the efficacy of the proposed controller.