Embedded Control System for Self Adjusting Scissor Lift

Scissor lifts are used as an alternative to scaffolding and ladders to work in elevated areas, they are very commonly used in warehouses and working sites. But, the random distribution of load on and uneven surfaces on working sites, have accounted for a lot fatal accidents due to lift tip-over. The current understanding of scissor lift considers static load and working conditions. This paper proposes an embedded system, which can be added to the scissor lifts current control mechanism using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to measure the tilt angles of the platform, and relays for signal conditioning. Complementary filter has been applied to decrease the drift error in angle measurement by the IMU. The electro-mechanical relays have high Mean Time between Failure hence increasing overall reliability of the system. The performance of the system along with the dynamic control mechanism have been mentioned in the paper.