A robotic control system for automated container ship loading will be developed and tested in a computer simulation of the container loading process. The key innovation is the combination of efficient feedforward control laws with a linear feedback based on both container and ship states. The sensor system is an extension of the ship-tracking sensor suite developed in Phase I. As demonstrated in Phase I, the technical problems associated with automation are (1) determining the precise position of the ship at the time of loading, (2) damping the pendulum motion of the suspended container, and (3) compensating for the flexibility of the crane and cables. The Phase II research will develop a ship/container sensor system, derive mathematical models of system components, develop a control law, build and validate a computer model, and use it to verify the control system performance. The system can be retrofitted to existing cranes with suitable crane controls and mechanical sway damping, providing tremendous improvement and savings at a relatively small cost. In Phase III a prototype working system on a ship load crane will be built, in cooperation with a consortium of major U.S. shipping lines and port authorities.
