Identification of flexible structures with piezo-electric sensors and actuators

In the paper some models for a complex flexible structure are introduced. A flexible beam, vertically disposed and fixed at its lower end, is considered. The structure is provided with piezo-electric devices working both as sensors and actuators. Three different approaches have been considered to derive the system model. Neural network structures, fuzzy models and classical ARMAX ones have been used and a comparison between the performance of the obtained models is described, showing the suitability of the neural structure.