Real-Time Tension Distribution Design for Cable-Driven Parallel Robot

In this study, we investigated dynamic control strategies for over-constrained cable-driven robots. In order to control a cable-driven robot, it is essential to address issues that arise from the restriction of cable tension, as well as to the redundancy issues that arise from an over-constrained cable-driven system. To control the amount of tension applied, we introduced a tension function that incorporates the hyperbolic tangent function. In contrast to previous research that required consideration of the relationship between tension constraints and computed control wrench in tension distribution problems, we developed a tension function that incorporates the hyperbolic tangent function, which allows tension to always satisfy tension constraints and eliminates the consideration of constraints at each step. The gradient descent method was applied to this tension function to determine an appropriate distribution of tension for the computed wrench. In order to manage tension distribution optimization for achieving objectives such as energy conservation, we provide a practical method to simultaneously realize the necessary wrench and the appropriate tension distribution. Compared with studies that focus on the complex analysis of the structure matrix to solve the tension distribution problem, the tension distribution issue is handled in a straightforward manner in our method, providing the solutions to other problems, such as discontinuity in the calculated wrench, and requirements of changing the cable’s force level during movement. The simulation results and results of comparison with other methods show the effectiveness of the method.