For positioning with high precision piezoelectric actuators are widely used. The hysteresis and creep of actuators result in positioning inaccuracy. A precise tracking method for piezoelectric actuators using active disturbance rejection control has been proposed. This method actively estimates and compensates parameter uncertainties, nonlinear factors such as hysteresis and external disturbances in the tracking system in real-time.

Precise tracking of the piezoelectric actuator can be achieved without any form of feedforward compensation. The experimental results demonstrate that the tracking errors using active disturbance rejection controller are reduced by over 90% comparing with those using PID controller. This control method could be applied into adaptive optics.