Adaptive Tracking Control for Underactuated Double Pendulum Overhead Cranes With Variable Cable Length

Area of Science:

• Control Engineering
• Robotics
• Mechanical Systems

Background:

• Overhead crane control literature is extensive but lacks strategies for simultaneous complex factors.
• Challenges include double pendulum effect, variable cable length, input saturation, dead zones, and external disturbances.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop adaptive tracking control for underactuated overhead cranes.
• Address multiple challenging system effects simultaneously.
• Improve transient performance and ensure smooth operation.

Main Methods:

• Designed a two-component controller: a tracking signal vector and an adaptive law.
• Tracking signal vector reduces system swing magnitudes.
• Adaptive law estimates and compensates for friction, disturbances, and nonlinearities.

Main Results:

• Rigorous stability proof using Lyapunov method and Barbalat's lemma.
• Demonstrated effectiveness for systems with input saturation and dead zones.
• Numerical simulations verified superior performance and robustness compared to existing methods.

Conclusions:

• The proposed adaptive tracking controller effectively handles complex overhead crane dynamics.
• The controller ensures system stability and robust performance under various challenging conditions.
• This approach offers significant improvements for overhead crane control applications.