Department Of Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Project Showcase

Tactile Remote Steering System Group Members: Ed Hanson                            Major : EE                            Graduates: May 2006 (Senior)                                                       Gerry Van Peteghem                            Major: CompE.                            Graduates: Dec. 2005 (Senior) Project Coordinator: Dr. Gregory Kriehn Technical Advisors: Dr. Nagy Bengiamin
As technology advances into the 21st century, computers and electronics have become essential components of our everyday lives, one such area being the vehicles we drive on a daily basis. Modern automobiles are becoming increasingly reliant on electronics and computer technology to control various vital functions--steering, braking, suspension, and throttle to name a few. One of the obstacles faced by the automobile industry is implementing a steer-by-wire system that removes the conventional mechanical and hydraulic linkages between the steering wheel and the tires. The challenge involves replicating the feel the driver gets when behind the steering wheel. Ideally, the driver should not be able to tell the difference between the steer-by-wire system as compared to the conventional mechanical system.
Tactile force feedback is the key to accomplishing the feel of the driving environment. The goal of our project is to design and implement a tactile force feedback steering system that models the behavior of an automobile's steering response under various turning situations. Our model will employ two Servo-motors, a Pulse width modular (PWM), a DC power supply , a micro-controller and miscellaneous analog and digital components. A control system will be developed to inform each motor which direction to rotate, how fast, and how much torque to put on the shaft of the steering wheel. This will effectively simulate the steering wheel trying to "fight" the driver causing the illusion of real feeling for the driver.

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