Model Predictive Control of Aerodynamic Levitation Systems

Airjet-driven levitation systems are an important emerging technology, as they can ensure the contactless movement of objects. From a control engineering perspective, the position set-point tracking of the levitating object poses many challenges because the aerodynamic characteristics of the air jet used for levitation are difficult to model. The unmodelled disturbances significantly affect the control performances. Moreover, the bound constraints imposed by the mechanical design and the applied actuators should also be considered during controller design. In this work, we present a motion control approach suitable for vertical levitation systems actuated by a fan-induced air jet. We developed the necessary hardware and software elements for the control equipment of the levitation system. We apply the MPC (Model Predictive Control) approach to ensure high-precision position regulation under various aerodynamic conditions with bounded control signals. We validate the applicability of the control system through simulation and real-time experimental measurements.