Six-DoF Stewart Platform Motion Simulator Control using Switchable Model Predictive Control

Abstract

Due to excellent mechanism characteristics of high rigidity, maneuverability and strength-to-weight ratio, 6 Degree-of-Freedom (DoF) Stewart structure is widely adopted to construct flight simulator platforms for replicating motion feelings during training pilots. Unlike conventional serial link manipulator based mechanisms, Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) in complex flight status is often accompanied by large speed and violent rate of change in angular velocity of the simulator. However, Classical Washout Filter (CWF) based Motion Cueing Algorithm (MCA) shows limitations in providing rapid response to drive motors to satisfy high accuracy performance requirements. This paper aims at exploiting Model Predictive Control (MPC) based MCA which is proved to be efficient in Hexapod-based motion simulators through controlling over limited linear workspace. With respect to uncertainties and control solution errors from the extraction of Terminal Constraints (COTC), this paper proposes a Switchable Model Predictive Control (S-MPC) based MCA under model adaptive architecture to mitigate the solution uncertainties and inaccuracies. It is verified that high accurate tracking is achievable using the MPC-based MCA with COTC within the simulator operating envelope. The proposed method provides optimal tracking solutions by switching to MPC based MCA without COTC outside the operating envelope. By demonstrating the UPRT with horizontal stall conditions following Average Absolute Scale(AAS) evaluation criteria, the proposed S-MPC based MCA outperforms MPC based MCA and SWF based MCA by 42.34% and 65.30%, respectively.