Design of a robust active fuzzy parallel distributed compensation anti-vibration controller for a hand-glove system

Area of Science:

• Ergonomics and Occupational Health
• Control Systems Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Vibrating hand-held tools cause reduced performance and productivity.
• Prolonged exposure leads to hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), an ergonomic injury.
• Effective vibration suppression is crucial for user protection and tool efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a controller for an anti-vibration glove to minimize vibration transfer to the user's hands.
• To develop a controller capable of adapting to varying hand masses.
• To benchmark the proposed controller against existing active vibration control methods.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of a mathematical model for the hand-glove system.
• Design of a fuzzy parallel distributed compensation (PDC) controller.
• Performance evaluation through simulations and comparison with Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) and Active Force Controller (AFC) techniques.

Main Results:

• The fuzzy PDC controller demonstrated superior performance compared to PID and AFC.
• The proposed controller achieved 93% better vibration suppression than the PID controller.
• The designed controller was 85% more effective than the AFC in suppressing vibrations.

Conclusions:

• The fuzzy PDC controller offers a highly effective solution for active vibration control in anti-vibration gloves.
• This controller design can significantly mitigate the risk of HAVS and improve user comfort.
• The developed system provides a robust and adaptable approach to managing vibration exposure.