Manual Control Mode Research Articles

Early-stage Testing of Thermal Power Dispatch Simulator for Subjective Mental Workload and Evolution Time

The excess thermal energy produced by nuclear power plants (NPPs) during low electricity demands can be utilized in industrial processes, such as hydrogen production, through a thermal power dispatch (TPD) system. Initial testing of the first iteration of a single-train TPD design with a manual control mode at the Idaho National Lab (INL) revealed a high operator workload and degraded control capability. The current study evaluated the impact of an enhanced dual-train TPD design on operators’ subjective mental workload and evolution task-time while completing two operating scenarios in manual and automatic control modes. The results showed no statistically significant difference between participants’ mental workload using both control modes. Evolution time in automatic control mode took a shorter time than in manual control, with participants completing all evolutions in less than the 10-min set as the design specification limit. The shorter evolution time is discussed within the context of plant safety and operational efficiency.

Digital twin for monitoring threshing performance of combine harvesters

The threshing performance of combine harvesters is crucial for minimizing grain losses. However, threshing is a highly complex process, and direct monitoring is infeasible due to high rotational speeds and concealed locations. This study introduces a method to enhance threshing performance monitoring by using digital twin (DT). A sensor network was developed to acquire on-site data. The DT was constructed by integrating a surrogate model of a discrete element model, which describes system responses, with a neural network predicting the future grain breakage rate (GBR). Test results indicate that the DT improved threshing monitoring capabilities and facilitated online optimization of settings. Compared to manual and feedback control modes, the GBR was reduced by 2.08 % and 1.00 %, and the working speed increased by 1.12 km/h and 1.47 km/h. The practical value of this study lies in reducing grain loss and enhancing harvest efficiency, providing advanced technological support for mechanical grain harvesting.

A Situated Inspection of Autonomous Vehicle Acceptance – A Population Study in Virtual Reality

The successful integration of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) into daily life is influenced by various individual and contextual factors. This study examines key factors affecting acceptance and trust in AVs by assessing how interactive experiences influence user perceptions and adoption. Utilizing a Virtual Reality (VR) environment to simulate real-world driving conditions, the research investigates the impact of different levels of vehicle interaction—manual control, semi-autonomous, fully autonomous, and taxi-riding modes—on user and passenger trust, anxiety, perceived ease of use, and overall acceptance. A dual-method approach was employed, combining objective data collection through eye-tracking, which measures engagement and vigilance, with subjective user feedback gathered via the Autonomous Vehicle Acceptance Model (AVAM) questionnaire. The findings reveal a complex relationship between user control and trust in AV systems. While semi-autonomous conditions that incorporate user participation in decision-making enhance trust and intention to use, fully autonomous conditions influence trust but not intention to use significantly. However, semi- autonomous conditions also elicited higher anxiety levels compared to fully autonomous modes, suggesting a trade-off between interaction and comfort. Engagement levels, as indicated by visual metrics such as gaze patterns, were found to be critical for understanding user acceptance. These results highlight the importance of considering both subjective perceptions and objective behaviors in developing AV interfaces. The study contributes significant insights into the cognitive underpinnings of AV acceptance and underscores the need for strategies that both enhance user trust and minimize anxiety by finding an optimal balance between automation and user control. Further research into this balance is recommended to better accommodate the evolving nature of user trust and the cognitive complexities associated with semi-autonomous systems.

Control program for the dosing system of dry bulk feed components

The development of intensive farming technologies is impossible without the introduction of modern technologies. The problem of compound feed production in the voiced aspect can be solved not only through the development of new machines and equipment, but also the introduction of modern control systems. The article presents an analysis of existing dispenser control systems. Based on the analysis of programs and control systems, it was revealed that almost all programs are designed to work in limited conditions, some of them do not take into account a number of factors affecting the accuracy of the material supply. Therefore, a control program for a twin-screw dispenser is proposed. When developing the management program, we started from the technological process of dosing. The possibility of controlling two augers was taken into account: first, a large auger (driven by an asynchronous electric motor) turns on and feeds the main part, then it turns off and the second small auger (driven by an asynchronous or stepper motor) turns on, which carries out the filling of the remaining part. In this case, signals about the amount of material supplied are transmitted from weighing sensors (strain gauges). The proposed control program for the twin-screw dispenser is developed for the TM241C24R PLC in the Structured Text (ST) programming language, one of the languages of the IEC61131-3 standard, in the EcoStruxure Machine Expert programming environment. The control is displayed on a liquid crystal display. The main screen displays basic information: the parameters of the electric motor, the recipe and the readings of the weighing sensors. The program allows you to control the operation of dispensers in several modes. In automatic mode, each dispenser supplies only one component. In manual control mode, the dispensers are started and stopped by the operator from the control panel. In this case, it is possible to set the rotation speed of the dispenser shaft. In the dosing mode with two augers, one component is dispensed with two augers. The proposed program will improve the accuracy of dosing in automatic mode.

A novel STPA approach to software safety and security in autonomous maritime systems

With higher autonomy in maritime systems, tasks and responsibilities are moved from the human operator to software, increasing the complexity and the importance of safe and reliable functionality. Software failures, however, may be introduced from the early life cycle phases intentionally or unintentionally, and these must therefore be mitigated by safe and secure design approaches. A challenge is that existing methods are not particularly well-suited for analyzing software risks. Thus, the objective of this paper is to propose a systematic and efficient software failure identification approach by extending the Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) with a software failure taxonomy and the System Modeling Language (SysML). This enables the control structure in STPA to cover both the dynamic and static aspects of the software functions. Combined with an implementation platform independent questionnaire, this gives a more systematic and guided search for potential software failures than existing approaches. To demonstrate the proposed approach, a case study on a ferry's navigation system that operates in manual control or semi-autonomous mode is performed. In the case study, the focus is on creating an avoidance map data structure, including both moving and static obstacles to be avoided by the ferry, and the subsequent process of collision risk warning calculation. Software failures are identified and evaluated in collision scenarios where the ferry operates under foggy conditions. The paper shows that the proposed systematic approach provides an improved process for identifying and analyzing critical software failures. This facilitates enhanced risk mitigation in the design and testing phases contributing to autonomous systems' safety and security.

Mechatronic automatic control system of electropneumatic manipulator

Mechatronic systems of electropneumatic automation are one of the main classes of industrial automation systems. A laboratory stand for the study of the mechatronic system of automatic control of the pneumatic manipulator and a computer model for preliminary experiments on the adjustment of the automatic control system were developed. Manual and software control modes are provided for research of indicators of safety and quality of management in both modes. To implement the software control mode, a microcontroller part of the laboratory stand based on ADuC841 was developed, with the help of which it is possible to simulate a part of a certain technological process, to detect and eliminate faults in the automatic control system. A study of automatic control systems using a traditional relay-contactor control system, based on GrafCet technology and using a virtual controller. The combination of computer modeling of technological processes and physical modeling of executive mechanisms is a kind of digital double that displays its state, parameters and behavior in real time. The use of a laboratory stand in combination with an adequate simulation model reduces the complexity of developing control systems for practical applications, and also contributes to the formation of students' creative component, ability to analyze the results, and make decisions in unusual situations, which will increase their theoretical and practical training. The study of mechatronic systems of pneumatic manipulators will allow to increase their efficiency and productivity, to optimize their speed and accuracy for various applications in production. The interaction of mechatronic systems of pneumatic manipulators with other technologies, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, IoT is the basis for creating more integrated and intelligent systems.

Use of a predictive display for the provision of flight safety in space missions requiring high-precision manual control

Theoretical and experimental studies were performed with the goal of determining the best kind of information presented on a predictive display to provide the highest accuracy in space mission execution, taking into account the requirement for reduced propellant consumption. The following space missions were studied: docking performed in manual and teleoperator control modes and lunar landing. By using a theoretical technique, algorithms for the flight path marker in manual and teleoperator control modes were developed. For the landing mission, a technique for determining the program trajectory and its calculation in real time was proposed. The experiments performed using a ground-based simulator demonstrated the high effectiveness of a predictive display and allowed to select the best variant of information to be presented on the display.

Actual issues of operation of CNC machines — preparation of control programs

The article analyzes various options for the preparation of control programs for CNC machines: the use of computer-aided design systems, the use of integrated CNC editors, the use of universal computing tools (personal computers, laptops, tablets), interactive writing of the program in manual control mode, the use of templates for specific processing methods, the use of converters that convert control programs developed by for other CNC systems, the use of converters from raster or vector files.

A system for the validation of collision avoidance algorithm performance of autonomous ships

Adequate validations on intelligent ships are essential to guarantee navigation safety and efficiency. In this paper an emulated validation system is constructed to test collision avoidance ability of autonomous ships in open waters, coastal regions and archipelago areas with different traffic densities. A synthetic map generator is designed, the map meshing conbines the techniques from Voronoi Tessellation, Poisson-disk Sampling and Perlin Noise to build up more natural coastlines and detailed elevation data. To imitate random encounter scenarios, a new method is designed to maintain target ship quantity, to conduct various tests, 3 types of water geography, different ship behaviors as well as manual and automatic control modes are applied, during testing, each ship is designed to follow the planned routes which are generated arbitrarily and then smoothed. A validation scheme is put forward for comprehensive testing procedures. Finally, A set of experiments on the collision avoidance algorithm show the merits and drawbacks, this verifies the effectiveness of the validation system.

Design and Test of a Straw-Clearing-Depth Self-Adaptive Control System of a Front-Mounted Seedbed-Preparation Device

In northeast China, most seedbed-preparation devices use the ground-wheel profiling method to ensure their operational stability. However, during the wide-width operation of the front-mounted seedbed-preparation device, the poor trafficability characteristics and the low profiling accuracy of the ground-wheel profiling mechanism result in unstable straw clearing depth, poor straw clearing quality, and the low operational efficiency of the seedbed-preparation device. In order to solve the above problems, a straw-clearing-depth self-adaptive control system of a front-mounted seedbed-preparation device was designed. The key structural design of the self-adaptive control system was completed through theoretical analysis. The performance test results of the self-adaptive control system showed that the lifting speed of the front-suspension mechanism was greater than 0.2 m/s in the manual button control mode, and the relative error between the target value and the actual value of the straw clearing depth was 10.8% under the self-adaptive profiling control mode. The three-factor and five-level quadratic regression orthogonal rotation center combination test method was adopted to conduct a parameter combination optimization test, with the machine operation speed, the operation depth of the straw clearing knife, and the straw covering amount as test factors, and the straw clearing rate, the qualified rate of operation depth, and the consistency of straw clearing between rows as evaluation indices. The results indicated that when the machine operation speed was 5~8.8 km/h, the operation depth of the straw clearing knife was 50 mm, the straw covering amount was 0.9~1.44 kg/m2, the straw clearing rate was ≥86%, the qualified rate of operation depth was ≥86%, and the consistency of straw clearing between rows was ≥83%. Field tests were carried out on the machine using operation speeds of 5 km/h, 6 km/h, 7 km/h, and 8 km/h under the conditions of an operation depth of the straw clearing knife of 50 mm and a straw covering amount of 1.2 kg/m2. The results showed that the straw clearing rate, the qualified rate of operation depth, and the consistency of straw clearing between rows were all within the optimized range under different machine operation speeds, which was basically consistent with the optimized results.

Comparison of Manual Mode With Automatic Gas Control Mode for Sevoflurane Consumption in Maquet Flow-I Anesthesia Machine

Background: Inhalational anesthetic agents used for general anesthesia can have adverse effects on operation theater staff and environment. The innovative automated gas controller reduces inhalational anesthesia agent consumption. Aim: To compare sevoflurane consumption in manual mode versus automatic gas control (AGCTM) mode on Maquet Flow-i anesthesia machine in adult laparoscopic surgeries. Methods: This study was a randomized control trail conducted at Department of anesthesia, Security Forces Hospital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center, Lahore, Pakistan from December 2019 till December 2020. Sixty patients were randomly divided into two Groups A (Automatic Gas Control, AGCTM) and Group B (Manual Mode). Sevoflurane consumption and sevoflurane consumption rate was calculated in both groups. Data was analyzed using SPSS V.20. Results: Two groups were comparable in term of age, gender, and comorbidities. The mean sevoflurane consumption rate in group A was 23.92+4.6 as compared to 40.23+4.4 in group B (P=0.001). Similarly sevoflurane consumption rate is also statistically significant. (0.28 + 0.04 ml/min vs 0.47 + 0.02 ml/min, p=0.001) Conclusion: Sevoflurane consumption and sevoflurane consumption rate is lower in AGCTM mode as compared to manual mode of Maquet Flow-I anesthesia machine. Keywords: Sevoflurane, Maquet Flow-i, Automatic Gas Controller (AGCTM), Laparoscopic Surgeries

Manual Control Mode for Autonomous Mobile Robots Using Velocity-Based Impedance Control

In this industry-oriented research and development project, we studied the introduction and implementation of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for transporting equipment and parts in manufacturing facilities of aircraft equipment. In the relationship between the operator and AMR, it is crucial to implement an autonomous driving mode as well as enable the operator to control the operation by directly interacting with the AMR, such as when moving in complex locations. In such cases, a manual control mode is useful and often required. This study proposes a method of AMR motion that enables the operator to physically interact with the robot without the use of a force sensor and perform a power assist function according to longitudinal velocity-based impedance control. The power assist scheme can also be applied to other AMRs, particularly those with commercial motor-in-wheel drive systems, in which the design parameters, current, and torque of the motors cannot be measured or monitored in real time. For the control scheme, we designed a dynamic observer based on a mathematical model of the robot to estimate the force exerted when the operator contacts the body of the robot. Additionally, we developed a complementary algorithm that enables the movement of the robot on inclined surfaces. Comprehensive experimental analysis of the AMR under different operating cases demonstrates the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed power-assist control scheme.

Design and test of an improved active disturbance rejection control system for water sampling unmanned surface vehicle

Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) have wide application prospects in military and civil fields. Motivated by the large demand for environmental protection equipment, a water-sampling USV (WS-USV) system is designed in this study. The software and hardware of the entire system are designed and developed independently. Two water sampling modes, a manual remote control mode and remote interface automatic control mode are designed for handling emergencies. The WS-USV is propelled by twin-propellers. These propellers have many input constraints owing to their inherent structure, making the design of the controller very difficult. In this study, an improved active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) method is proposed and a saturation function is introduced to design a path-following control system for the WS-USV. This enhances the anti-disturbance ability for addressing environmental disturbances by wind, waves and currents in the water sampling process. The stability of the system is improved. The feasibility, stability and performance superiority of the control system are proven by water sampling contrast experiments.

Virtual prototyping of the lunar module landing system to improve cosmonauts’ spatial and situational awareness

Relevance. The transition to manned flights after the launches of the automatic stations of the «Luna-Globus» series will require studying issues of the crew safety in lunar missions. First of all, it will be necessary to clarify the role and capabilities of cosmonauts when landing the lunar module in complicated conditions. The subject of the study is the means of modeling and visualizing the progress of the flight operation observed by the operator. The area of study is the issues of ensuring the safety of the automatic landing of the lunar descent module with the possibility of switching to manual control mode after a decision was made by a human to change the landing site of the lunar module. The provision of spatial and situational awareness is considered in this context as a prerequisite for the timely response of the operator to the occurrence of a non-standard situation. Objective. The goal of the work is to present the virtual prototyping of the Moon landing stage for studying details of information support for cosmonauts during the conditions of visual control complication. Methodology. The analysis of ways to maintain spatial and situational awareness for a timely assessment by the operator of the suitability of the predicted site in the landing area is a key condition for deciding whether to switch from automatic mode to manual mode. At the same time, the quality of preparation and decision-making in a short time frame significantly depends on the accepted methods of visualizing the landing on the surface of the Moon. Results and Discussion. The directions of application of modeling and visualization tools for virtual prototyping of the landing of the descent lunar module are formulated. It is shown that a person's decision-making in conditions of time scarcity and possible visual interference when monitoring the external environment requires special means of information support. The issues of organizing the visual environment in accordance with the information needs of a person are studied taking into account the prototypes in the classes of manned and unmanned vertical take-off and landing vehicles, for which similar types of operator activities are described. This made it possible to formulate basic approaches to modeling the landing of vehicles in conditions of problems with visual perceptions. Taking into account the increased requirements, we consider promising approaches based on the synthesis of 2D and 3D-visual dynamic scenes, as well as precedents for the use of synthetic vision systems in the described conditions. The scope of application of the obtained results is not limited to the tasks of designing complex human-technical systems, but may have applications in the field of building computer simulators for the training of cosmonauts. This practice compares favorably with the options for human training on hardware-in-the-loop simulation models and on real helicopter-type vehicles in terms of safety and flexibility of modification. Conclusion. The use of virtual prototyping of the moon landing makes it possible to expand the search for options for improving the cosmonaut's spatial and situational awareness. The general conclusion in the context of this goal pursuing is the feasibility of using simulation methods to build a virtual environment that recreates the conditions for a cosmonaut to make a decision in an emergency situation when landing a lunar module, as one of the most critical flight operations for the safety of lunar missions. Key words Lunar exploration, lunar lander, landing simulation and visualization, virtual activity environment, unmanned and manned vertical take-off and landing vehicles, spatial and situational awareness, synthetic vision systems.

Pellet Roasting Management System Based on Deep Learning and Internet of Things

Pellet is widely used in blast furnace ironmaking. Pellet quality affects the effect of ironmaking, the existing control system of grating-rotary kiln mainly adopts manual control mode, and the quality of pellet production largely depends on the experience, fatigue, and sense of responsibility of the site operators. The use of the Internet of things (IoT) technology in the integration and improvement of enterprise information level, to achieve fine, intelligent production management, at the same time, is conducive to promoting steel enterprises to reduce costs and increase efficiency, energy conservation and emission reduction, transformation and upgrading, and taking a new road to industrialization. According to the working principle and technological characteristics of the grate-rotary kiln at all stages, this paper designs the management system of firing pellets based on convolutional neural network (CNN) and IoT technology, so as to realize automatic recognition of image data obtained by the perceptual layer and make an intelligent analysis of it. The system can classify the working conditions of the current equipment, so as to judge whether the production process parameters of the grate-rotary kiln are up to the standard, thus achieving the goal of controlling the quality of the finished pellet.

Algorithmic support of low-altitude aircraft flight based on the hazard analysis of the flight situation

Low-altitude flight of an aircraft is an effective, but at the same time, a very complex tactical technique, during which the crew does not always have the opportunity to timely recognize the occurrence of an abnormal case, determine the way out of it and counteract an aviation accident development. Despite many advantages of the automatic mode of low-altitude flight performing, its practical implementation is associated with a number of features and disadvantages, which determined the preference for the manual mode of low-altitude flight control. These are the presence of telltale factors, limited ability of performing flights at night and in difficult weather conditions, insufficient reliability etc. The considered features determined the relevance of the of low-altitude flight safety ensuring problem in relation to the manual control mode. As a result of an experimental study of the low-altitude flight performing process in a manual control mode, it was found that when performing manually-controlled low-altitude flight, a hazard assessment of the flight situation becomes pivotal. However the crew being under such conditions is not always able to correctly assess the flight situation hazard due to a combination of objective reasons. The current state of the adaptive and on-board flight safety systems theory makes it possible to increase the safety of the manuallycontrolled low-altitude flight by using adaptive control algorithms based on the flight situation hazard assessment. To solve this problem an adaptive control algorithm is proposed that ensures the formation of a security corridor in the longitudinal control channel, where the upper limit is determined by the critical value of the aircraft detection hazard, and the lower limit is determined by the critical value of the error in maintaining a given flight altitude. For a continuous assessment of the flight situation hazard and the timely formation of control signals the complex information about the current true flight altitude and the foreground is needed. Taking into account the peculiarities of low-altitude flight a digital terrain map containing data on natural and artificial obstacles along the flight route is a more rational source of information, that will make it possible to predict the development of the flight situation hazard. The above reasoning makes it possible to form an aircraft low-altitude flight adaptive control algorithm. A distinctive feature of the proposed algorithm is the implementation of a combined control variety where the pilot is provided with ample manual control opportunities within the security corridor, and the automatic flight control system is assigned the role of a safety subsystem that ensures control and timely return of the flight situation to normal flight conditions. The presented algorithm will allow to increase the crew logical-analytical activity information support during continuous analysis of the existing flight situation due to the formation of protective control actions based on the current flight situation hazard analysis.

Detection and Following of Moving Target by an Indoor Mobile Robot using Multi-sensor Information

Abstract The following behavior is an important aspect in developing of mobile robot control algorithms. It is frequently a substantial part of the control strategies used to control robots that are designed to co-exist and collaborate with human beings in a shared working environment. In this research, an approach is proposed and investigated allowing a holonomic mobile platform to detect and follow targets, moving on the ground, in an indoor environment. Using multi-sensor data flow, the control algorithm is able to localize the target object by its shape and to start following it. The robot will maintain the desired orientation and distance while following the target. Additionally, the mobile platform has also a fully manual control mode option and is able to recognize human gesture commands.

Design of a monitoring and control system for Aquaponics based on Iot technology

This paper presents the design of environmental monitoring and control system in aquaponics based on Internet of Things (IoT) technology. This system allows users to monitor and control the operation of devices through the application on smartphones, including: 3 water pumps, 3 air pumps, pH sensor, dissolved oxygen (DO) sensor, temperature sensor and humidity sensor, exhaust fan and misting. These devices are monitored and controlled in two modes: automatic and manual control. For 3 pumps and 3 air pumps, in automatic mode, allows the user to set the pump time between water pumps and between air pumps. In manual control mode, allows the user to control water pumps and air pumps by the push of a button on a smartphone application. Monitor pH, DO and allows the user to set the pH threshold and DO threshold to give an alert when the pH and DO exceed the threshold. Monitor the parameters of temperature, humidity in the membrane house and allow setting the temperature threshold and humidity threshold to control the exhaust fan and misting respectively when the temperature and humidity exceed the threshold. This system tested at aquaponics farm - Dong Thap Aqua. The results show that this system is working reliably and promising which brings significantly benefits to aquaponics. Besides, it also contributes to improve production efficiency and sustainable development of green agriculture.

SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE COMPLEX FOR SIMULATION MODELING OF A MULTIROTOR UAV FLIGHT

The article proposes a hardware-software complex for flight simulation of a multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle, which allows near real-time operation in the MatLab / Simulink software package. To obtain adequate control characteristics and estimate flight time, simulation models of propellers and brushless motors have been developed and verified. The unmanned aerial vehicle system model allows to combine various propellers, brushless electric motors, batteries; to test control system software in automatic, semi-automatic, manual control modes, with various combinations of external factors, such as flight altitude relative to sea level, wind direction and force; as well as to simulate errors in determining coordinates and altitude. The results of the work were used for the flight modes test of a real multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle.

Design and Research of a Model of a Pair Active Aircraft Control Sidesticks Operation in MATLAB

Development of an aircraft active sidestick control is an actual direction in modern flight control systems which allows to increase safety, to improve cabin ergonomics and to reduce the mass and weight of control levers. The article devoted to simulation modeling of a pair active sidesticks based on electromechanical actuators coupled by a frameless kinematic scheme, providing identical dynamic characteristics for the pitch and roll channels. MATLAB, Simulink, Simscape, with SimMechanics and SimPowerSystems libraries was used to create the mathematical model. Parameters such as moments of inertia was count based on the 3D model of the active sidestick. The complex model includes two active sidesticks units, three blocks as the input source ("Autopilot", blocks of the 1st and 2nd pilots), a block that compute a loading characteristic for the manual control mode and a block with logic for switching from automatic to manual mode. The model of each active sidestick unit consists of three main blocks: a regulator, an electric motor with a control system, and a block of mechanics. The regulator block includes a PID regulator and a PWM modulator. The electric motor unit includes a power source, a three-phase bridge inverter, a model of a brushless three-phase electric motor from the SimPowerSystems library and a power switch control unit. The mechanics block includes a planetary gearbox, hinge mechanism, handle, moments of inertia, a position sensor, a torsion rod equal to tension springs which are used in device, a nonlinear speed damper and a torque source unit, depending on the force applied by the pilot. Developed model makes it possible to get static and dynamic characteristics of the actuators, to check control algorithms to simulate operating modes in automatic and manual control, including piloting by both pilots at the same time and the interruption in automatic control mode. Including in model a " hold position block" allowed to simulate situation when in manual control mode the 1st pilot tries to hold the handle in a position that he considers correct, despite the intervention of the 2nd pilot. The simulation results showed that developed device meets specified requirements for the aircraft active sidesticks.