Modeling and control of the Pr-500-Fl pavement profiler cutter system
A manually controlled PR-500-FL Pavement Profiler vehicle is modeled and converted to allow terrain contingent cutter depth control by an on-board portable computer. A series of geometric equations were developed in an attempt to define the required motion of the vehicle's three hydraulic actuator legs. A geometric model was used to create a MATRIX{dollar}\rm\sb{X}{dollar} simulation verifying the hydraulic leg motions and cutter depth control. Unltrasonic sensors are used to acquire terrain profile data. Linear displacement transducers are used to measure the vertical hydraulic leg displacements required for cutter depth adjustments. A dual axis angular tilt sensor was installed as an additional vehicle safety feature. A description of the design and installation of the complete sensor and control system is presented. A number of experimental runs were performed, and the results acquired from the installed system are evaluated. Recommendations for improvements of the current system, and possible future systems are presented.
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