Learning and Reacting with Inaccurate Prediction: Applications to Autonomous Excavation

Motivated by autonomous excavation, this work investigates solutions to a class of problem where disturbance prediction is critical to overcoming poor performance of a feedback controller, but where the disturbance prediction is intrinsically inaccurate. Poor feedback controller performance is related to a fundamental control problem: there is only a limited amount of disturbance rejection that feedback compensation can provide. It is known, however, that predictive action can improve the disturbance rejection of a control system beyond the limitations of feedback. While prediction is desirable, the problem in excavation is that disturbance predictions are prone to error due to the variability and complexity of soil-tool interaction forces. This work proposes the use of iterative learning control to map the repetitive components of excavation forces into feedforward commands. Although feedforward action shows useful to improve excavation performance, the non-repetitive nature of soil-tool interaction forces is a source of inaccurate predictions. To explicitly address the use of imperfect predictive compensation, a disturbance observer is used to estimate the prediction error. To quantify inaccuracy in prediction, a feedforward model of excavation disturbances is interpreted as a communication channel that transmits corrupted disturbance previews, for which metrics based on the sensitivity function exist. During field trials the proposed method demonstrated the ability to iteratively achieve a desired dig geometry, independent of the initial feasibility of the excavation passes in relation to actuator saturation. Predictive commands adapted to different soil conditions and passes were repeated autonomously until a pre-specified finish quality of the trench was achieved. Evidence of improvement in disturbance rejection is presented as a comparison of sensitivity functions of systems with and without the use of predictive disturbance compensation

Evaluation On Tracking Performance Of PID, Gain Scheduling And Classical Cascade P/PI Controller On XY Table Ballscrew Drive System

Today, positioning systems in machine tools aim for high accuracy and robustness characteristics in order to accommodate against various disturbance forces. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the tracking performance of PID, Gain Scheduling and Cascade P/PI controller with the existence of disturbance forces in the form of cutting forces. Cutting force characteristics at different cutting parameters; such as spindle speed rotations is analysed using Fast Fourier Transform. The tracking performance of a classical cascade controller in presence of these cutting forces is compared to the PID controller and gain scheduling PID controller. Robustness of these controllers in compensating different cutting characteristics is compared based on reduction in the amplitudes of cutting force harmonics using Fast Fourier Transform. It is found that the cascade controller performs better than both PID controller and gain scheduling PID controller. The average percentage error reduction between cascade controller and Gain Scheduling controller is about 88% whereas the average percentage error reduction between cascade controller and Gain Scheduling controller is about 84% at spindle speed of 1000 rpm spindle speed rotation. The finalized design of cascade controller could be utilized further for machining application such as milling process. The implementation of cascade P/PI in machine tools applications will increase the quality of the end product and the productivity in industry by saving the machining time. It is suggested that the range of the spindle speed could be made wider to accommodate the needs for high speed machining

Assessment on tracking error performance of Cascade P/PI, NPID and N-Cascade controller for precise positioning of xy table ballscrew drive system

Abstract. At present, positioning plants in machine tools are looking for high degree of accuracy and robustness attributes for the purpose of compensating various disturbance forces. The objective of this paper is to assess the tracking performance of Cascade P/PI, Nonlinear PID (NPID) and Nonlinear cascade (N-Cascade) controller with the existence of disturbance forces in the form of cutting forces. Cutting force characteristics at different cutting parameters; such as spindle speed rotations is analysed using Fast Fourier Transform. The tracking performance of a Nonlinear cascade controller in presence of these cutting forces is compared with NPID controller and Cascade P/PI controller. Robustness of these controllers in compensating different cutting characteristics is compared based on reduction in the amplitudes of cutting force harmonics using Fast Fourier Transform. It is found that the Ncascade controller performs better than both NPID controller and Cascade P/PI controller. The average percentage error reduction between N-cascade controller and Cascade P/PI controller is about 65 % whereas the average percentage error reduction between cascade controller and NPID controller is about 82 % at spindle speed of 3000 rpm spindle speed rotation. The finalized design of N-cascade controller could be utilized further for machining application such as milling process. The implementation of N-cascade in machine tools applications will increase the quality of the end product and the productivity in industry by saving the machining time. It is suggested that the range of the spindle speed could be made wider to accommodate the needs for high speed machining.

Disturbance Rejection Using Disturbance Force Observer For XYZ Positioning Table

In milling process, disturbance forces such as friction force and cutting force act directly on work surfaces thus producing external impact on the drives system of the positioning table. This effect must be compensated in order to preserve accuracy and quality of the final product. The characteristic of these cutting forces varied with cutting variables such as spindle speed, depth of cut, and feed rate. This thesis focuses on cutting force compensation using disturbance force observer (DFO) as an add-on control module to a classical and conventional PID control structure. DFO is a type of estimator that estimates precisely disturbance forces with prior knowledge of the cutting force harmonics frequencies content. The DFO was designed based on cutting forces measured from actual milling cutting process performed at constant depth of cut of 0.5mm, feed rate of 2000mm/min, and spindle speed of 1000rpm. These measured cutting data was applied as actual disturbance into the XYZ positioning milling table for numerical analysis and experimental validation of the estimator design. All numerical analysis was performed using MATLAB and Simulink software. In machine controller design, conventional controllers such as PID and cascade controller are widely used for positioning control. Therefore, based on this observation, four different control configurations were considered; PID controller, cascade P/PI controller, PID controller with inverse model based disturbance observer (IMBDO), and PID with DFO module. This thesis compares the performance of the PID controller that was combined with an observer, either IMBDO or DFO. Numerical and experimental analyses were performed using maximum tracking errors, root mean square (RMS) of the tracking errors, and magnitudes of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of the tracking errors. Results obtained showed that PID with add-on DFO module produced superior performance against other control configurations. PID combined with DFO produced the most percentage reduction in maximum tracking error averaging at 93.76% for input disturbance frequencies of 5Hz, 15Hz and 35Hz. In comparison, cascade P/PI controller managed to record a 66.22% error reduction while PID with IMBDO produced a reduction of 52.75%. In term of RMS error, the experimental results showed that PID in combination with DFO produced the most percentage reduction that was 63.89% compared to the PID controller and PID with IMBDO and cascade P/PI where each produced a reduction of only 33.33%. Lastly, for FFT error analysis, the experimental results showed that PID combined with DFO produced the most improved performance with an average reduction of 74.87% at harmonic frequencies of 2.833Hz, 17.33Hz and 35.17Hz. This was in comparison to cascade P/PI controller and PID with IMBDO that produced a reduction of 44.39% and 21.97% respectively. Further studies on improvement of control performance especially in areas such as robustness and adaptivity of the control scheme to changing cutting conditions are desired

Praktična sinteza regulatora za precizno pozicioniranje sustava pomične podloge

This paper presents a practical feedback controller design of a ball screw-driven table system for the microdisplacement positioning. Friction of the mechanism in the micro-displacement region has nonlinear elastic properties, unlike Coulomb and/or viscous friction in the macro-displacement, resulting in different positioning responses and frequency characteristics of the plant depending on the regions. In this paper, at first, a numerical simulator with a rolling friction model is adopted to reproduce the positioning behaviors in the micro-displacement region. Based on the simulator, the stability condition of positioning in the region is clarified on the basis of frequency characteristics and, then, appropriate parameters of feedback controller are practically designed to satisfy the required positioning performance. Effectiveness of the proposed design has been verified by a series of experiments using a prototype of ball screw-driven table positioning device.U radu je prikazana sinteza regulatora s povratnom vezom u sustavu za precizno linearno pozicioniranje pomične podloge pomoću kugličnih ležajeva. Za razliku od uobičajenih modela Coulombova i/ili viskoznog trenja, trenje razmatranog sustava ima izrazito nelinearna svojstva u području mikro-pomaka, što za posljedicu ima različite odzive pozicioniranja i frekvencijski karakteristike, ovisno o radnom području. U radu je prvo razvijeno numeričko simulacijsko okruženje zasnovano na modelu trenja kotrljanja u svrhu simuliranja ponašanja sustava pozicioniranja u području mikropomaka. Potom je, zasnivajući se na simulacijskom okruženju, pomoću frekvencijske karakteristike razjašnjen problem stabilnosti sustava u promatranom radnom području te su odabrani odgovarajući parametri regulatora koji poštuju uvjet stabilnosti i zadovoljavaju željenu kvalitetu odziva. Sinteza regulatora provedena je vodeći računa o praktičnoj primjenjivosti postupka. Učinkovitost predložene sinteze potvr.ena je nizom eksperimenata na prototipu sustava za precizno linearno pozicioniranje pomične podloge pomoću kugličnih ležajeva

Precise Positioning Control Strategy of Machine Tools: A Review

In this article, a precise positioning control strategy for the nonlinearity of machine tools is thoroughly reviewed. Precise positioning is crucial in machine tools industry where nonlinear phenomenon must be considered. Therefore, this paper aims to review various techniques used to enhance the precision of nonlinearity of machine tools. In the introduction, a significant review of machine tools is discussed based on deadzone phenomenon and high bandwidth. After that, linear control strategies are reviewed involving Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) and Cascade P/PI controller. This is followed by nonlinear control strategies, Nonlinear PID (NPID), Adaptive NPID (ANPID), Feedforward NPID (FNPID), Adaptive Robust Controller (ARC), Nominal Characteristics Trajectory Following (NCTF) controller and lastly, the fuzzy and neural network control is then reviewed. Finally, conclusions are presented according to the past researches conducted. Further studies regarding the topic can be improved by the implementation of several additional modules such as deadzone and feedforward compensators and disturbance observer that focus on both disturbance forces such as cutting force and friction force

Precise Positioning Control Strategy Of Machine Tools: A Review

In this article, a precise positioning control strategy for the nonlinearity of machine tools is thoroughly reviewed. Precise positioning is crucial in machine tools industry where nonlinear phenomenon must be considered. Therefore, this paper aims to review various techniques used to enhance the precision of nonlinearity of machine tools. In the introduction, a significant review of machine tools is discussed based on deadzone phenomenon and high bandwidth. After that, linear control strategies are reviewed involving Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) and Cascade P/PI controller. This is followed by nonlinear control strategies, Nonlinear PID (NPID), Adaptive NPID (ANPID), Feedforward NPID (FNPID), Adaptive Robust Controller (ARC), Nominal Characteristics Trajectory Following (NCTF) controller and lastly, the fuzzy and neural network control is then reviewed. Finally, conclusions are presented according to the past researches conducted. Further studies regarding the topic can be improved by the implementation of several additional modules such as deadzone and feedforward compensators and disturbance observer that focus on both disturbance forces such as cutting force and friction force

Mechatronics Methods for Mitigating Undesirable Effects of Pre-motion Friction in Nanopositioning Stages with Mechanical Bearings

Nanopositioning (NP) stages are used to for precise positioning in a wide range of nanotech processes, ranging from substrate patterning to micro additive manufacturing. They are often used for point-to-point (P2P) motions, where the stage is commanded to travel to and settle within a pre-specified window of the target position, and for tracking motions, where the stage is commanded to follow a reference trajectory. The settling time, in-position stability and tracking accuracy of NP stages directly affects productivity and quality of the associated processes or manufactured products. NP stages can be constructed using flexure, fluidic, magnetic or mechanical bearings (i.e., sliding and, especially, rolling-element bearings). Of these choices, mechanical bearings are the most cost-effective, and are currently the only commercially viable option for a growing number of NP applications that must be performed in high vacuum environments. However, mechanical-bearing-guided NP stages experience nonlinear pre-motion (i.e., pre-sliding/pre-rolling) friction which adversely affects their precision and speed. Control-based compensation methods, commonly used to address this problem, often suffer from poor robustness and limited practicality due to the complexity and extreme variability of friction dynamics at the micro scale. Therefore, this dissertation proposes three novel mechatronics methods, featuring a combination of mechanical design and control strategy, as more effective and robust solutions to mitigate the undesirable effects of pre-motion friction. The first approach is vibration assisted nanopositioning (VAN), which utilizes high frequency vibration (i.e., dither) to mitigate the low speed (slow settling) of mechanical-bearing-guided NP stages during P2P motions. VAN allows the use of dither to mitigate pre-motion friction while maintaining nanometer-level positioning precision. P2P positioning experiments on an in-house built VAN stage demonstrates up to 66% reductions in the settling time, compared to a conventional mechanical bearing NP stage. A major shortcoming of VAN is that it increases the cost of NP stages. To address this limitation, a friction isolator (FI) is proposed as a simple and more cost-effective method for mitigating pre-motion friction. The idea of FI is to connect the mechanical bearing to the NP stage using a joint that is very compliant in the motion direction, thus effectively isolating the stage from bearing friction. P2P positioning tests on a NP stage equipped with FI prototypes demonstrate up to 84% reductions in the settling time. The introduction of FI also enables accurate and robust reductions of motion errors during circular tracking tests, using feedforward compensation with a simple friction model. One pitfall of FI is that it causes increased error of the stage during in position. Therefore, a semi-active isolator (SAI) is proposed to mitigate the slow settling problem using the FI, while maintaining the benefits of friction on in-position stability. The proposed SAI, which connects the bearing and NP stage, is equipped with solenoids to switch its stiffness from low, during settling, to high once the stage gets into position. P2P experiments demonstrate up to 81% improvements in the settling time without sacrificing in-position stability. The proposed mechatronics methods are compared and FI stands out as a result of its simplicity, cost-effectiveness and robust performance. Therefore, the influence of design parameters on the effectiveness of FI are investigated to provide design guidelines. It is recommended that the FI should be designed with the smallest stiffness in the motion direction, while satisfying other requirements such as in-position stability and off-axis rigidity.PHDMechanical EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155296/1/terrydx_1.pd

EVALUATION ON TRACKING PERFORMANCE OF NPID TRIPLE HYPERBOLIC AND NPID DOUBLE HYPERBOLIC CONTROLLER BASED ON FAST FOURIER TRANSFORM (FFT) FOR MACHINE TOOLS

Accuracy and precision are the area of interest in machine tools application. It is evaluated via the measurement of tracking performance of the controllers. This study presents a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) technique that used to evaluate the tracking performance of two controllers, namely NPID Triple Hyperbolic controller and NPID Double Hyperbolic controller for XY Table Ball-screw driven system. The cutting force characteristics are observed by using a FFT technique. Peak amplitude of FFT error on harmonic frequency was observed as a cutting force occurrence on the control system. Two cutting force disturbances that are generated from spindle speed of 1500 rpm and 2500 rpm at frequency of 0.2 Hz of speed of motor were used as a configuration set up to compare the tracking performance between the two controllers. The average error reduction of FFT error at cutting force of 1500 rpm between NPID Double Hyperbolic and NPID Triple Hyperbolic was 25.12%. This average error reduction result showed that the NPID Double Hyperbolic controller produced better tracking performance compared to the other controller. For future work, it is recommended to explore the superiority features offered in artificial intelligence tool box for better judgment in tuning control parameters