A Novel Kinematic Coupling-Based Trajectory Planning Method for Overhead Cranes

Motivated by the desire to achieve smooth trolley transportation and small payload swing, a kinematic coupling-based off-line trajectory planning method is proposed for 2-D overhead cranes. Specifically, to damp out unexpected payload swing, an antiswing mechanism is first introduced into an S-shape reference trajectory based on rigorous analysis for the coupling behavior between the payload and the trolley. After that, the combined trajectory is further tuned through a novel iterative learning strategy, which guarantees accurate trolley positioning. The performance of the proposed trajectory is proven by Lyapunov techniques and Barbalat´s lemmas. Finally, some simulation and experiment results are provided to demonstrate the superior performance of the planned trajectory.