Performance studies of human operators driving double-pendulum bridge cranes

Oscillation of crane payloads makes it challenging to manipulate payloads quickly, accurately, and safely. The problem is compounded when the payload creates a double-pendulum effect. This paper evaluates an input-shaping control method for reducing double-pendulum oscillations. Human operator performance testing on a 10-ton industrial bridge crane is used to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the method. Fifty operators drove the crane with a standard control pendent, as well as a wireless touchscreen interface. Data from these experiments show that human operators drive the crane much faster and safer with the input-shaping control scheme. Furthermore, considerably less operator effort is required when input shaping is used to limit the oscillation. Additional tests required the operators to drive the crane numerous times over a period of eight days. These experiments show that significant learning occurred when operators did not have the aid of input shaping. However, the performance never approached that achieved by untrained operators using input shaping.