This paper proposes a new adaptive control scheme for flexible-link robots. A model-based nonlinear control scheme is designed based on a V-shape Lyapunov function, and then the nonlinear control i s extended to a model-based adaptive control to cope with parametric uncertainties in the dynamic model. The proposed control guarantees the global exponential or global asymptotic stability of the overall control system with all internal signals bounded. The effectiveness of the proposed control is shown by computer simulation.