A motion planning method for underactuated 3D overhead crane systems

A novel motion planning method for 3D overhead crane system is proposed by analyzing the coupling relationship between the trolley motion and the load swing in this paper, which takes the consideration of system indexes and physical constraints. At first, we apply a three-segment acceleration trajectory planning method to 3D overhead cranes. Then, a parabola-based trajectory is presented to tackle the jerk problem of three-segment acceleration trajectory. Furthermore, the time of one transition stage is designed by the discussion on energy consumption and jerk. The method ensures the velocity, acceleration of the trolley, and the swing angles of the payload within the pre-set ranges. Moreover, when the trolley stops, zero residual oscillation of the payload is guaranteed. The superior performance of the proposed motion planning method is demonstrated by numerical simulations.