Load Sway Suppression for Double-Pendulum Tower Cranes Using Adaptive Backstepping Sliding Mode Control Approach

Tower cranes, commonly used across various industries, face challenges due to the complex dynamics caused by the hook mass, which introduces double-pendulum motion. This makes precise positioning and sway control of the trolley and jib difficult. Additionally, real-world operations often involve unpredictable external disturbances. To address these challenges, this article proposes an adaptive backstepping hierarchical sliding mode control strategy, developed by simplifying the tower crane’s dynamic model. The system’s robust stability is confirmed using Lyapunov’s theorem and LaSalle’s invariance principle. Through extensive experiments, the proposed controller demonstrates excellent performance and robustness, effectively handling the complexities of tower crane operations and maintaining precise control despite environmental uncertainties.