Control Method and Simulation of Reconfigurable Façade Cable-Driven Parallel Robots Based on Heuristic Local Rules

Li, Yujun; Liu, Chaofeng; Liu, Yang; Li, Shengcong; Yang, Fujun; Yu, Mingheng; Chen, Zhiyuan; Shao, Longhui; Yan, Jingke

doi:10.3390/machines14020210

Open AccessArticle

Control Method and Simulation of Reconfigurable Façade Cable-Driven Parallel Robots Based on Heuristic Local Rules

by

Yujun Li

,

Chaofeng Liu

^*,

Yang Liu

,

Shengcong Li

,

Fujun Yang

,

Mingheng Yu

,

Zhiyuan Chen

,

Longhui Shao

and

Jingke Yan

Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, 333 Longteng Road, Shanghai 201620, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Machines 2026, 14(2), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14020210

Submission received: 10 January 2026 / Revised: 5 February 2026 / Accepted: 9 February 2026 / Published: 11 February 2026

(This article belongs to the Section Robotics, Mechatronics and Intelligent Machines)

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Abstract

Traditional control strategies for Cable-Driven Parallel Robots (CDPRs) rely heavily on global kinematic modeling and precise calibration, severely limiting their adaptability in unstructured or dynamic environments. This study addresses the challenge of rapid deployment without geometric priors by proposing a reconfigurable CDPR system composed of modular units. A novel heuristic control strategy based on “4+2+1” local rules is introduced, comprising translational, attitude correction, and tension maintenance logic. By utilizing local feedback—including cable tension, attitude, and anchor orientation—this method generates control commands without requiring boundary condition calibration, thereby supporting real-time reconfiguration. Numerical simulations of a façade cleaning scenario demonstrate that the system maintains stability across varying topologies, including anchor position changes and unit failures. Compared to a benchmark kinematic method, the proposed strategy reduces trajectory tracking error by approximately 50.5% and suppresses the pitch Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) from a divergent 42.75° (traditional) to 1.52°, effectively preventing the attitude failure typical of uncalibrated model-based control. These findings confirm that the proposed rule-based approach significantly enhances robustness and adaptability, offering a practical solution for deploying CDPRs in complex environments without pre-existing maps.

Keywords: reconfigurable cable-driven parallel robots; calibration-free control; modular design; heuristic local rules

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MDPI and ACS Style

Li, Y.; Liu, C.; Liu, Y.; Li, S.; Yang, F.; Yu, M.; Chen, Z.; Shao, L.; Yan, J. Control Method and Simulation of Reconfigurable Façade Cable-Driven Parallel Robots Based on Heuristic Local Rules. Machines 2026, 14, 210. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14020210

AMA Style

Li Y, Liu C, Liu Y, Li S, Yang F, Yu M, Chen Z, Shao L, Yan J. Control Method and Simulation of Reconfigurable Façade Cable-Driven Parallel Robots Based on Heuristic Local Rules. Machines. 2026; 14(2):210. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14020210

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Yujun, Chaofeng Liu, Yang Liu, Shengcong Li, Fujun Yang, Mingheng Yu, Zhiyuan Chen, Longhui Shao, and Jingke Yan. 2026. "Control Method and Simulation of Reconfigurable Façade Cable-Driven Parallel Robots Based on Heuristic Local Rules" Machines 14, no. 2: 210. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14020210

APA Style

Li, Y., Liu, C., Liu, Y., Li, S., Yang, F., Yu, M., Chen, Z., Shao, L., & Yan, J. (2026). Control Method and Simulation of Reconfigurable Façade Cable-Driven Parallel Robots Based on Heuristic Local Rules. Machines, 14(2), 210. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14020210

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Control Method and Simulation of Reconfigurable Façade Cable-Driven Parallel Robots Based on Heuristic Local Rules

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