Tool-Center-Point Control of a Concrete Pump Using Constrained Quadratic Optimization
Julian Wanner, Oliver Sawodny
Abstract
Tool-center-point (TCP) control increases the operating comfort of concrete pumps by shifting the control to the task space. The operation is accompanied by various requirements and constraints from the mechanical structure, the hydraulic system, and the operator. They must be taken into account for the efficient and error-free operation of the concrete pump. In this publication, a TCP control algorithm based on constrained quadratic optimization (cQP) is presented, which addresses the requirements and constraints of a mobile concrete pump. The features include boom deformation compensation, multiple operation modes, configuration control, compliant constraints on the joint movement, and hydraulic flow rate constraints. The methods are verified by simulation for a flexible link six degrees of freedom concrete pump. The results include deformation-compensated 2-D/3-D movements of the TCP with different operation modes and configuration control under joint and hydraulic constraints.