Planitia : a real-time fuzzy-logic tilt controller

Abstract

Cybernetics and Systems Science are inter-disciplinary sciences that tend to focus on the complex systems such as organisms, ecologies, minds, societies, and machines. Cybernetic systems are regarded as complex structures which are built over underlying laws and principles that can be used to unify the understanding of such seemingly disparate types of systems. By integrating Robotics together with Artificial Intelligence techniques into a cybernetic system we are able to create intelligent adaptive systems that can offer complex functionalities by mapping perception to the most appropriate responsive action. The aim of this project was to design a cybernetic system that deals with neutralizing the horizontal forces of acceleration induced by an object on a platform. Basically the aim was to implement a Real-Time system and a prototype device which is able to sense the forces of acceleration that are acting on objects standing on a platform, and through these acceleration readings the system would adjust the angle of tilt of this platform in real-time. Effectively the target result would be that the object on the platform does not experience any horizontal acceleration even when the platform is in motion. Practically, this should allow say a glass to remain on the platform without tipping even when the platform base is moved around or tilted to a side. Tilt detection is obtained through the use of a dual-axis Digital Accelerometer which is a device capable of rneasuring acceleration forces across 2 axis of sensitivity. Using the constant gravitational acceleration, it is possible to convert acceleration values into an angle of tilt and vice versa. This means that any horizontal acceleration can be compensated for using changes in tilt. The Real-Time system makes use of a Closed Feedback Control Loop that gets acceleration readings in real time and sends the appropriate control signals to each of the motors that are used to control the platform's tilt through a system of strings and pulleys.