Virtual Reference Feedback Tuning (VRFT) of velocity controller in self-balancing industrial manual manipulators

Self-balancing manual manipulators are devices that countervail the weight of a load that must be manually handled and moved by a human operator. An electric motor delivers the force needed to control the velocity of a spool with a metallic rope to which the load is hanged. This work concerns the tuning of the DC electric motor velocity controller. Specifically, Virtual Reference Feedback Tuning has been applied, which provides controller parameter tuning in a completely automatic way based on a single I/O batch measurement on the plant. The tuned controller shows good tracking performances and good robustness to variation in the applied load.