Crane Equipped With “Smart Brain” Enables Efficient Control

Recently, the 2024 Tianjin Science and Technology Awards winners were announced, with Nankai University’s project on “Intelligent Control of Cranes Under Complex Constraints” receiving the second prize in the Natural Science category. This research marks a significant milestone in the intelligentization of the crane industry.

Cranes, known as the “backbone” of the engineering equipment industry, are widely used in fields such as electric metallurgy, warehousing, aerospace, renewable energy development, and construction. Traditionally, cranes rely heavily on manual operation, but when endowed with intelligent features, they become robotic cranes. While smart cars with advanced driver assistance systems are becoming increasingly common on roads today, most cranes still depend on human operation. However, with the advancement of intelligent technology, robotic cranes are gradually becoming a reality, with the potential to autonomously and intelligently perform varioustasks, paving the way for a transition towards unmanned and intelligent lifting and transportation systems. Nevertheless, robotic cranes are considered underactuated systems, unable to use independent actuators to suppress load swing, and the complex nonlinear coupling characteristics of the system further increase control difficulty.

Underactuation refers to the challenge of “controlling more with less.” Robotic cranes come in various types with complex dynamic characteristics. Due to mechanical structure limitations, the load lacks independent drive mechanisms, requiring minimal input signals to simultaneously control the movement of drivable trolleys and booms while managing the swinging of undrivable loads. Large loads suspended under the crane can exhibit double-pendulum effects, posing higher demands on the efficiency, stability, and reliability of robotic cranes. Therefore, the research focuses on addressing the challenges of precise lifting and rapid swing suppression under complex constraints, proposing optimal trajectory planning and intelligent control methods to improve efficiency, precision, and safety.

After eight years of effort, the research team successfully integrated intelligent methods into the robotic crane system, effectively solving the “controlling more with less” problem. The robotic crane, equipped with a “smart brain,” can now operate intelligently under various working conditions and complex constraints without human intervention. Scientific exploration often begins with practical needs, aiming to solve the underlying challenges of those needs.

For example:

• In a metal production plant,Grab And Magnetic Overhead Cranes may take 1 minute to transport a steel coil, but it may take an additional 4 minutes for the coil to stabilize after reaching its destination, or 5 minutes to slowly transport it to avoid significant swinging. This results in substantial time costs. By introducing intelligent algorithms, this issue can be mitigated, reducing the swinging caused by inertia, accelerating the damping process, and improving operational efficiency.
• In large port container handling operations,Container Gantry Cranes face similar challenges when moving containers. Due to the large size and high lifting height of containers, they can swing due to inertia and wind forces when lifted from a ship and moved to the designated location. This not only extends the time required for the container to land but also increases operational risks, potentially causing equipment damage or reduced handling efficiency. In this scenario, the research team introduced intelligent control algorithms to monitor the container’s swing state in real-time, automatically adjusting the crane’s lifting speed and path to suppress the swing. This technological improvement significantly reduced container swing time, enhanced handling efficiency, and lowered operational risks. This technology has been piloted in several major ports, yielding positive results and becoming a key case study in the intelligent transformation of port logistics systems.

Currently, due to the research team’s efforts, the project has been selected as part of China’s Automation and Artificial Intelligence Innovation Team and Tianjin’s Key Fields Innovation Team, among others.

This research achievement not only significantly advances the intelligentization and automation of the crane industry but also provides important new insights for intelligent control technology across the industrial sector. By combining intelligent algorithms with robotic cranes, the team has successfully addressed the challenges of precise control and efficient operation in complex environments. This achievement not only enhances work efficiency and safety but also greatly reduces operational costs. In the future, as the technology continues to be refined, this intelligent control method is expected to be applied to a broader range of scenarios, including air, land, and sea transport, automated warehousing, construction, and more, providing strong support for the digital and intelligent transformation of various industries in China.

Looking ahead, the research team remains committed to advancing the application and development of robotic crane technology. While exploring new technologies, they aim to further enhance the intelligence of existing systems. Their vision extends beyond current fields, seeking to apply intelligent control technology to a wider range of underactuated robots, driving the industrial system towards higher-quality development. As these technologies mature and are more widely adopted, they are expected to have a profound impact on industrial automation and intelligentization, helping achieve a more efficient, safe, and sustainable future.