In this paper, a novel adaptive Takagi-Sugeno (TS) fuzzy observer-based controller is proposed. The closed-loop stability and the boundedness of all the signals are proven by Lyapunov stability analysis. The proposed controller is applied to a flexible-transmission experimental setup. The performance for constant payload in the presence of noisy measurements is compared to a controller based on a classical extended Luenberger observer. Simulation and real-time results show that the proposed observer-based feedback controller provides accurate position tracking under constant and varying payloads.@en