Graduation Year

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.S.M.E.

Degree Granting Department

Mechanical Engineering

Major Professor

Rajiv Dubey, Ph.D.

Co-Major Professor

Shuh-Jing Ying, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Craig Lusk, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kathryn J. De Laurentis, Ph.D.

Keywords

simulator system international, electron mobility control, driving controls, coupler, joystick

Abstract

Cars have become necessities of our daily life and are especially important to people with disability because they extend their range of activity and allow participation in a social life.

Sometimes driving a normal car is impossible for individuals with severe disability and they require additional driving aide. However, it is dangerous to send these individuals on the road without giving them special training on driving vehicles using an adaptive aide.

Nowadays there are a number of driving simulators that train disabled persons but none of them have joystick-enabled training that controls both steering, gas and break pedal. This necessitates the design of a method and a system which helps a person with disabilities learn how to operate a joystick-enabled vehicle, by using a combination of an advanced vehicle interface system, which is a driving aide known as Advanced Electronic Vehicle Interface Technology (AVEIT) and virtual reality driving simulator known as Simulator Systems International (SSI).

This thesis focuses on the mechanism that synchronizes both AVEIT and SSI systems. This was achieved by designing a mechanical and electrical system that serves as a means of transferring the action between the AVEIT and SSI system. The mechanical system used for this purpose consists of two coupler units attached to AVEIT and SSI each combined together by the electrical system. As the user operates the joystick, the action of AVEIT is transferred to the SSI system by the help of the electromechanical system. The design provides compatibility between the AVEIT and SSI system which makes them convenient for training persons with disability.

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