DESIGN AND REALIZATION OF A HAPTIC CRANE FORCE CONTROL FOR APPLICATION OF MATERIAL HANDLING BY USING ACTIVE FORCE CONTROL (AFC)

摘要

The final project highlights a method for controlling a haptic crane and hoist model based on an Active Force Control (AFC) strategy. It is a disturbance rejection control technique in which AFC is employed to control accurately and robustly the trolley part of the crane along a desired path, compensating at the same time the payload sway at the end of the traversed motion. AFC is designed and implemented using a two degree-of-freedom controller-the outer classic Proportional-Integral- Derivative (PID) control loop provides the commanded signal while the internal AFC loop accommodates the known and unknown disturbances present in the crane and hoist system. Results from the simulation clearly show that the crane can perform its predefined task faster with a minimum payload sway angle compared to the PID control method. Result from experiment on the plant is difficult to differentiate which control method is better since both of them show the same swing angle and time to reach the reference position. This is due to the pulse generated by the microcontroller is the same between two controllers, but AFC control shows better result in accuracy of reaching the reference position with smaller error than PID control. Keywords: active force control (AFC), disturbance rejection, PID control, haptic crane and hoist