Modern Control Design Project

Details

• Estimated key plant parameters from experimental crane data, then built and validated both nonlinear and simplified simulation models in Simulink before designing a 50 Hz digital controller that moved a 1 m payload command with no overshoot while staying within the 1 m/s cart-speed safety limit.
• Tuned the controller for smooth, predictable motion and confirmed robustness with frequency-domain checks, showing healthy stability margin and that the system could tolerate roughly half a second of additional delay before becoming marginally unstable.
• Reframed the problem in state space and compared two observer-based LQR strategies, one using reference scaling and one using integral error with anti-windup; both achieved near-zero steady-state error under actuator limits, with about 3.5-4.0 s settling and low overshoot, and the augmented design giving the fastest no-overshoot response.