A Novel Kinematic Coupling-Based Trajectory Planning Method for Overhead Cranes

Motivated by the desire to achieve smooth trolley transportation and small payload swing, a kinematic coupling-based off-line trajectory planning method is proposed for 2-D overhead cranes. Specifically, to damp out unexpected payload swing, an antiswing mechanism is first introduced into an S-shape reference trajectory based on rigorous analysis for the coupling behavior between the payload and the trolley. After that, the combined trajectory is further tuned through a novel iterative learning strategy, which guarantees accurate trolley positioning. The performance of the proposed trajectory is proven by Lyapunov techniques and Barbalat's lemmas. Finally, some simulation and experiment results are provided to demonstrate the superior performance of the planned trajectory.