Integration of force-position control and haptic interface facilities for a virtual excavator simulator

In this paper we present the advances in the design and develop of a system used to simplify the excavator digging tasks based in a dynamical model of an excavator an anthropomorphic auto-balanced haptic interface and a force-position control law. The objective of this system is to reduce the training period and simplify the execution of digging tasks. This system makes possible the kinesthetic coupling between the operator and the machine providing information to the operator about the interaction forces between the excavator and the soil. The dynamical models of the excavator and the haptic devise were calculated employing the Euler-Lagrange formalism. With this formalism we obtain a new general dynamical model of an excavator including the dynamical effects of the hydraulic actuators. We present simulation results of the closed loop system considering the interaction between the haptic devise and the excavator