Title :
Tracking control of a conveyor belt: design and experiments
Author :
Tsai, M.C. ; Lee, C.H.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Mech. Eng., Nat. Cheng Kung Univ., Tainan, Taiwan
fDate :
2/1/1996 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
This paper presents the results of an experimental setup for a position tracking system that is to control a working table to track a workpiece on a moving conveyor belt, such that the manipulator placed on the working table is able to operate upon the workpiece while the workpiece is still moving. The feedback control employs a reflective type optical sensor which is placed on the table, to measure the relative positions of the working table and the workpiece. A predictive method to compensate for the effect of sensor output saturation on tracking performance is investigated in detail. The application of this tracking control to industrial production lines to achieve a nonstop work flow may shorten overall manufacturing time, and therefore improve the production efficiency and increase the productivity
Keywords :
compensation; conveyors; feedback; industrial robots; manipulators; optical sensors; position measurement; compensation; conveyor belt; feedback control; position tracking system; reflective type optical sensor; tracking control; Automatic control; Belts; Control systems; Manufacturing processes; Optical sensors; Production; Sensor systems; Servomechanisms; Servomotors; Workstations;
Journal_Title :
Robotics and Automation, IEEE Transactions on
