An example actuator control system includes an actuator, a plurality of motors configured to cooperatively operate the actuator, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine an output signal for controlling active ones of the motors during a current update cycle based on a first gain value, an integral contribution from the current update cycle, and an integral contribution from a preceding update cycle. The controller is configured to, based on a quantity of the motors that is active differing between the current and preceding update cycles, scale the integral contribution from the preceding update cycle for the output signal determination based on the first gain value and a second gain value from the preceding update cycle. A method of controlling a plurality of actuator motors is also disclosed.

A laser processing system includes redundant actuators positioning a laser spot on a workpiece. The system determines a first trajectory of the first actuator minimizing motion of the first actuator that positions the second actuator such that each point of the reference trajectory is within a range of the second actuator and determines a second trajectory of the second actuator based on a difference between the reference trajectory and the first trajectory. For each axis of control, the system determines an envelope centered on the reference trajectory with a width not greater than the range of the second actuator and determines shortest trajectory traversing the envelope along the time domain to produce the first trajectory. Hence, the first trajectory includes a set of straight segments satisfying the constraints defined by the shape of the envelope. The system includes controllers for control the motion of redundant actuators.

A method controls an operation of a laser processing machine with redundant actuators including a first actuator and a second actuator. The method determines a feasible region for states of the first actuator and states of a reference trajectory of the first actuator defined by constraints of the laser processing machine, constraints on the reference trajectory and constraints on a range of motion of the second actuator. The method selects a subset of the feasible region, such that for any state of the first actuator and any state of the reference trajectory within the subset, there is an admissible control maintaining the state of the first actuator within the subset of the feasible region for admissible future states of the reference trajectory, and selects an admissible control action for controlling the operation such that the state of the first actuator remains in the subset of the feasible region.

A method and system for use with actuation system to control a plurality of vanes disposed within a turbine engine, wherein a vane position sensor provides a vane position signal corresponding to a vane position of the plurality of vanes, the actuation system includes a plurality of motors engaged in response to the vane position signal, and a differential gearbox having a plurality of inputs operatively coupled to the plurality of motors and an output operatively coupled to the plurality of vanes, wherein an output speed of the output is a sum of a plurality of input speeds of the plurality of inputs.

A system includes a first actuator and a second actuator arranged such that joint motions of the first actuator and the second actuator position a controlled parameter. A trajectory generator determines a first trajectory of the first actuator minimizing the motion of the first actuator that positions the second actuator such that each point of the reference trajectory is within a range of the second actuator. The motion of the first actuator is controlled according to the first trajectory. The trajectory generator determines a second trajectory of the second actuator based on a difference between the reference trajectory and the positions the second actuator with respect to the reference trajectory governed by the first trajectory. The motion of the second actuator is controlled according to the second trajectory.

An operation of a processing machine with redundant actuators is controlled according to a reference trajectory by selecting, from a set of points forming a segment of the reference trajectory to be processed for a period of time, a subset of points corresponding to a fraction of the period of time. The subset of points is selected such that the redundant actuators are capable to position the worktool at each point in the subset within the period of time and are capable to maintain the worktool at the last point of the subset after the period of time while satisfying constraints on motion of the redundant actuators. The constraints on motion are selected based on the mode of operation of the processing machine. The segment of the reference trajectory is modified in the time domain and the control inputs for controlling the motion of the redundant actuators are determined using the modified segment of the reference trajectory.