Highly nonlinear and coupled dynamics of a robotic manipulator demands sophisticated control strategies. These strategies must have the ability to handle the uncertainties and external disturbances that can significantly deviate the system from its desired response. Considering a 6 Degree Of Freedom (DOF) serial robotic manipulator, this paper presents the design and realisation of Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) and Variable Structure Control (VSC) which are respectively optimal and robust control strategies. The novelty of the present research lies in the hardware implementation of both strategies on an in-house developed AU-Tonomous Articulated Robotic Educational Platform (AUTAREP). The platform is subjected to various test inputs to characterise the tracking performance of the derived control laws. The comparative results demonstrate that VSC outperforms than LQR
