Study of operator behavior, learning, and performance using an input-shaped bridge crane

Input shaping is a simple way of reducing vibration in bridge cranes. Reduction of payload sway is particularly important if the crane must operate in a cluttered workspace or has to accurately position payloads. An input shaping controller has been implemented on a large bridge crane at the Georgia Institute of Technology. It is used to study the response of operators and their learning patterns while driving the crane through obstacle courses both with and without input shaping. An image processing technique was implemented to track the movement of the crane payload. Data from these experiments show that the operators performed tasks more fastly, safely, and effectively when input shaping is used.