Resolved motion rate control of a materials-handling machine

Abstract

Resolved motion rate control - a technique developed for controlling robotic manipulators - is applied here to an industrial vehicle used for the handling of materials. An on-board microprocessor is used to compute trigono metrical transformations necessary to achieve co-ordinated movement of servo-valves which control the hydraulic cylinders. It is shown that, by this method, the operator's task is significantly eased, bringing potential benefits in speed of operation and safety.