| The objective of this thesis is the design of a control system for the Automated Roadway Debris VACuum (ARDVAC) that is more efficient than the system currently in use. The ARDVAC is a vacuum vehicle with an articulated nozzle that can be controlled by an operator from inside the cab of the truck in order to pick up roadway debris. It was developed by the Advanced Highway Maintenance and Construction Technology (AHMCT) Research Center in conjunction with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Caltrans currently possesses the first two commercial units.;The current system utilizes two joysticks to control the articulated arm's motion and requires the operator to control each actuator of the arm separately. This system is not only confusing to use, but is slow to respond to the operator's inputs.;In this work, a new controller for the ARDVAC is designed based on the kinematic equations that relate the change in joint variables of the arm to the end effector's velocity by way of the Jacobian of the system. The pseudoinverse of the Jacobian is found to be the most effective way to solve the inverse kinematic equations of the arm and calculate the desired change in joint variables. The Jacobian and joint variable calculations are validated in MATLAB. Then, the control approach is tested with one joystick and an Arduino microcontroller in order to receive the operator's input. The resultant system design will allow for optimal operator position, provide a more intuitive interface, and utilize the kinematics of the arm to create a "smarter" system that calculates the necessary actuator movements needed to produce the desired end effector motion. Finally, recommendations are provided for additional work necessary for actual implementation. |
