Detection of boom rotating angle for roadheader robot based on triaxial digit acceleration sensor

The detection of the boom rotating angle during the heading process of the roadheader robot was the key technology of the automatic control for the roadheader. With the boom always been a certain angle to the vertical (or horizontal) direction during the mine heading process of the roadheader robot, the intersection angle between each axis and gravity direction could be applied to detect the movement postures of the mine roadheaders´ boom with of the triaxial digit acceleration sensor ADXL345 fixed on the boom and to detect the rotating angle of the boom. The analysis showed that in comparison with the traditional linear displacement sensor applied to detect the stroke of the hydraulic cylinder for the detection of the boom rotating angle mode, the detection of the triaxial acceleration sensor would require less number of the sensors, not require A/D converter, make detection circuitry simplification and the detection results of the triaxial acceleration sensor would not be influenced by the front or rear and right or left inclination of the roadheader robot in the mine roadway.