In the ever-evolving landscape of energy and navigation technologies, a groundbreaking development has emerged from the School of Automation Engineering at Northeast Electric Power University in China. Lead author X. Xiao and his team have introduced a novel three-degrees-of-freedom (3-DoF) series-parallel stabilisation platform (SPSP), a technology poised to revolutionize the stability and precision of navigation and aiming systems on moving carriers.
Imagine a world where the sway of a ship or the vibration of an offshore wind turbine no longer compromises the accuracy of critical systems. Xiao’s research, published in the journal *Mechanical Sciences* (translated from its original Chinese title), brings us one step closer to this reality. The SPSP is designed to eliminate longitudinal and lateral carrier sway while dynamically adjusting azimuth angles for target tracking, providing a highly stable reference plane.
“Our goal was to create a platform that could effectively counteract the movements of its carrier, ensuring precise navigation and aiming capabilities,” Xiao explained. The team achieved this by systematically investigating factors influencing the moving platform’s attitude error (AE) and establishing an error model using partial differential methods. Simulation studies quantified the impact of individual error sources on AE, enabling rational error allocation and identifying critical factors affecting rod length error (RLE).
The practical implications of this research are vast, particularly for the energy sector. Offshore wind farms, for instance, often face challenges related to the stability of their turbines and the accuracy of their navigation systems. The SPSP technology could enhance the performance of these systems, leading to more efficient and reliable energy production. Similarly, in the maritime industry, the ability to maintain stable navigation and aiming systems on moving carriers could significantly improve safety and operational efficiency.
To validate their findings, Xiao and his team constructed an experimental platform using a dSPACE hardware-in-the-loop simulation system. They conducted electromechanical actuator precision tests, open-loop SPSP positioning tests, and closed-loop stability tests, confirming the error model’s validity and the configuration design’s rationality.
As we look to the future, the potential applications of this technology extend beyond the energy sector. The principles underlying the SPSP could be applied to various fields requiring high-precision navigation and aiming systems, from aerospace to defense. The research conducted by Xiao and his team not only advances our understanding of stabilisation platforms but also paves the way for innovative solutions to longstanding challenges in stability and precision.
In the words of Xiao, “This technology has the potential to transform industries that rely on stable and accurate navigation systems. We are excited to see how it will be applied and developed in the years to come.” With the publication of this research in *Mechanical Sciences*, the stage is set for a new era of innovation in stabilisation technology.