Maximum DLCC of Spatial Cable Robot for a Predefined Trajectory Within the Workspace Using Closed Loop Optimal Control Approach

One of the most important applications of cable robots is load carrying along a specific path. Control procedure of cable robots is more challenging compared to linkage robots since cables can’t afford pressure. Meanwhile carrying the heaviest possible payload for this kind of robots is desired. In this paper a nonlinear optimal control is proposed in order to control the end-effector within a predefined trajectory while the highest Dynamic Load Carrying Capacity (DLCC) can be carried. This purpose is met by applying optimum torque distribution among the motors with acceptable tracking accuracy. Besides, other algorithms are applied to make sure that the allowable workspace constraint is also satisfied. Since the dynamics of the robot is nonlinear, feedback linearization approach is employed in order to control the end-effector on its desirable path in a closed loop way while Linear Quadratic Regulator (LOR) method is used in order to optimize its controlling gains since the state space is linearized by the feedback linearization. The proposed algorithm is supported by doing some simulation studies on a two Degrees of Freedom (DOF) constrained planar cable robot as well as a six DOFs under constrained cable suspended robot and their DLCCs are calculated by satisfying the motor torque, tracking error and allowable workspace constraints. The results including the angular velocity, motors’ torque, actual tracking of the end-effector and the DLCC of the robot are calculated and verified using experimental tests done on the cable robot. Comparison of the results of open loop simulation results, closed loop simulation results and experimental tests, shows that the results are improved by applying the proposed algorithm. This is the result of tuning the motors’ torque and accuracy in a way that the highest DLCC can be achieved.