Research on the application of multi-GPS in real-time monitoring of portal slewing cranes

To address the real-time attitude monitoring requirements for portal slewing cranes in automated operations, this study proposes a dynamic attitude detection method based on a quad-GPS receiver configuration. By deploying four GPS modules at critical kinematic nodes of the crane’s luffing mechanism, combined with coordinate transformation algorithms and quaternion-based attitude determination models, the system achieves real-time acquisition of three-dimensional spatial coordinates, yaw angles, and tilt states. A dual-validation framework was implemented to assess system accuracy: 1) comparative validation between handheld GPS measurements and fused GPS solutions, and 2) stability verification through integration with the automated control system. Experimental results demonstrate spatial positioning errors less than 0.3 meters and yaw angle deviations below 0.1°, meeting the precision thresholds for anti-collision and path-planning requirements in port automation. The multi-sensor redundancy design enhances anti-interference capability while maintaining cost-effectiveness, demonstrating engineering practicability for intelligent retrofitting of heavy lifting equipment.