A control algorithm for a centrifuge motion simulator

• We designed human centrifuge as 3DoF manipulator with rotational axes.
• Acceleration forces acting on the modern combat aircrafts pilot are simulated through rotations about these axes.
• A new control algorithm includes new inverse dynamics algorithm based on the recursive Newton-Euler method, which takes motorpossibilities into account.
• As a result, quality of motion control is improved and precise calculation of the forces/moments acting on the links necessary for the calculation strength is done.

Pilots of modern combat aircraft are exposed to the devastating effects of high acceleration forces. The pilots׳ ability to perform tasks under these extreme flight conditions must be examined. A centrifuge motion simulator for pilot training is designed as a 3DoF manipulator with rotational axes. Through rotations about these axes, acceleration forces that act on aircraft pilots are simulated. Because of the possibilities of present actuators, it is notably difficult to produce a centrifuge that can realise all of the desired changes of the acceleration forces completely accurately. For this reason, it is necessary to make a compromise in the centrifuge׳s design with regard to the motor choices and link designs. A new control algorithm that contains a new algorithm for the inverse dynamics of the robots (based on the recursive Newton–Euler algorithm) and that accounts for the possible motor actions has been developed in this study. This algorithm first calculates the successive actuator torques of the links, which are required for the given motion during each interpolation period. Next, the algorithm checks whether actuators can achieve these torques, and if they cannot, it calculates the maximal successive link angular accelerations that motors can achieve. Based on this, control unit sends appropriate control inputs. As a result, the quality of the motion control is improved, and a precise calculation of the forces and the moments that act on the centrifuge links (which is necessary to calculate the link strengths) is performed.