A computationally-efficient systematic procedure to design an Optimal Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Controller (OT2FLC) is proposed. The main scheme is to optimize the gains of the controller using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), then optimize only two parameters per type-2 membership function using Genetic Algorithm (GA). The proposed OT2FLC was implemented in real-time to control the position of a DC servomotor, which is part of a robotic arm. The performance judgments were carried out based on the Integral Absolute Error (IAE), as well as the computational cost. Various type-2 defuzzification methods were investigated in real-time. A comparative analysis with an Optimal Type-1 Fuzzy Logic Controller (OT1FLC) and a PI controller, demonstrated OT2FLCs superiority; which is evident in handling uncertainty and imprecision induced in the system by means of noise and disturbances. © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.