Hunting Simulator

Stichting Leeuw asked DotX to develop an optimised version of their hunting-simulator. This simulator is a cable driven manipulator that is controlled by an operator. The operator ‘teases’ prey animals to hunt the manipulator (with meat). DotX has not only developed new optimized control software ‘on paper’, but also in the form of a game. One of the improvements is the application of ‘haptic feedback’. That means, in this case, that the joystick pushes back when the manipulator approaches an obstacel. BIJZONDRHEDEN The tension forces in the cables are generated by a control algorithm consisting of two parts. The first part calculates the desired tension forces in three perpendicular directions using 3 PID controllers (1 for each direction). These three forces are then processed through a tension distribution algorithm in closed-form as described in [1]. The haptic assistence consists of a push-back force field around fixd objects (like walls and stones in the area) that is scaled on the basis of time to collision, in the direction of the normal vector that is perpendicular to the colliding surface.

[1] T. Lam et al, “Haptic interface in UAV tele-operation using force-stifness feedback”, 2009, IEEE.