No abstract

In this paper, we present a new force-feedback side-stick which has been developed and integrated into a research flight simulator. The developed 2 Degrees of Freedom (DOF) force-feedback joystick, as a kind of haptic device, provides two-way communication in both position and force, and allows users to interact with the simulation system. It has been designed by considering the main factors in designing a general use force-feedback device. Thus, the design must allow the restitution of aerodynamic forces onto the hand of the pilot. This is an important feature, which gives the pilot the ‘natural feel’ of traditional mechanical aircraft control. In order to provide the force feedback to enhance the realism of the simulation, we added the necessary software using Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) solutions (Microsoft Flight Simulator Software (MSFS)) and built-in data structure and methods. Thus, the main contribution of this paper concerns the design and implementation of an automatic controller based on fuzzy logic systems. It is not simply designing a force-feedback stick for flight simulation: we proposed a novel control principles and more importantly completely new approach to compute in real-time force feedback on the stick based on pilot knowledge that avoids the use of complex aerodynamics equations with unknown parameters. To our best knowledge, this work is the first to propose the integration of fuzzy logic force controller in flight simulation for creating force feedback. Results using the overall simulation are presented and evaluated and interesting sensations have been recorded.

The systems based on image processing have numerous applications in the domain of motion control of robots and autonomous vehicles. The current paper is oriented to the solution of the problem that precedes the implementation of automatic avoidance of the on-road obstacles-how to detect them, to track in the sequence of images, and to recognize which of them are stationary, incoming, or outgoing from the camera. The overall algorithm of obstacle classification presented in this paper consists of three basic phases: (1) image segmentation in order to extract the pixels belonging to the image of a road and the objects over it; (2) extraction of characteristic points inside the area of the obstacle, their description and tracking in following frames; and (3) estimation of distances between the camera, the obstacles and their rates of change (relative velocities). The verifications of particular steps of the proposed algorithm are illustrated using real road-traffic images, while the overall algorithm is tested using both synthesized sequences of images and the ones acquired in real driving.

Original scientific paper The paper aims to research the orientation possibilities of an object in the horizontal plane, from its start course into a required orientating recourse, by using simplified navigation methods. The object's directed motion uses controlling powering impulses, variable distributed in time, during constrained motion time. Three logical decision-making methods are designed for calculating the best maneuvering trajectory with minimal error on the target. Computing the powering impulses, their execution instances, as well as their types, are ensured by the methods and presented in the paper. The developed controlling methods are: a modified multiple shooting method, a new control law, called in this paper, current error orientation, as well as a fuzzy logic method. These methods are designed as decision-making software implemented in an electronic hardware as a predefined programmable controller. This provides pre-programmable orientation of the object at the very beginning of course motion, towards a targeted point settled out of initial direction. The controlling methods use optimal diversification of full elapsed determining time to execute, in sequences, appropriate types and number of powering impulses. Simulation tests of the methods, as well as the designed hardware, are also presented in this paper as a contribution to the development researches of horizontal motion control.Keywords: fuzzy logic controller; guidance laws; programmable motion; shooting method; software/hardware set up Dizajn softvera/hardvera kontrolera za donošenje odluke pri navigaciji objekta u horizontalnoj ravnini Izvorni znanstveni članak Cilj rada je istražiti mogućnosti orijentacije objekta u horizontalnoj ravnini, počevši od njegovog početnog kursa u zahtjevani rakurs, koristeći pojednostavljene metode navigacije. Usmjeravanje gibanja objekta koristi kontrolirane pogonske impulse neravnomjerno distribuirane u ograničenom vremenskom intervalu gibanja. Dizajnirane su tri metode logičkog odlučivanja za izračunavanje najbolje putanje, čije su greške na cilju minimalne. Računanje pogonskih impulsa, njihovih izvršnih instanci kao i tipova, prezentirani su u ovom radu. Razvijene kontrolne mjere su: modificirana višestruka shooting metoda, odnosno novi zakon upravljanja kako je nazvan u ovom radu, trenutna orijentacijska greška, kao i metoda fuzzy logike. Metode su projektirane kao softver za donošenje odluke implementiran u elektronski hardver kao predefinirani programabilni kontroler. To daje preliminarno programiranje usmjeravanja objekta na samom početku kursa gibanja prema ciljnoj točki smještenoj van početnog pravca. Metodama se optimiziraju raspodijele ukupno determiniranog vremena radi realiziranja odgovarajućih tipova i broja pogonskih impulsa u sekvencama. Simulacijski testovi ovih metoda, kao i projektirani hardver, također su prezentirani u radu kao doprinos razvojnom istraživanju upravljanja horizontalnim gibanjem.

No abstract