Hybrid control of a manufacturing transport system

This paper describes the design of a least restrictive, safe hybrid control scheme for a manufacturing transport system transporting fragile objects from a production unit to a stamping/packaging station. The control scheme consists of several control modes. One control mode handles trajectory following using time-optimal control, the other control modes are safety related and are engaged in a least restrictive manner. The control design procedure involves defining safe and unsafe sets of states, which are used for deciding whether a safety-related control mode should be activated. The devised control scheme is proven to be safe under stated conditions, and is shown to perform well in simulations.