Vehicle Manipulator for Motor Shows.
This system was developed, in conjunction with a firm specialising in product
presentations, for a major UK motor manufacturer for use at two motor shows;
at Birmingham in 2000 and at Geneva in 2001.
The vehicle was mounted on a sub-
frame with hydraulic rams so that it
can be tilted front to back and side to
side by up to 30 degrees.
The suspension unit of each wheel
was replaced by a hydraulic ram so
that they can be individually
manipulated, and each wheel is
driven by its own electric motor.
The hydraulic power packs were mounted
in the engine compartment, and the four
variable speed motor drives and other
control electronics were mounted in the
boot.
Each wheel could be driven individually, so
as to simulate wheel spin and skidding etc.
The suspension units for each wheel were
manipulated to simulate various terrain
conditions; from wallowing through mud to
cobble stones.
All the motions were controlled by a real-time
process control computer which was programmed
to synchronise all the motions with a video film
which illustrated the manoeuvrability of the vehicle
and simulated features such as traction control and
anti-lock braking systems.
The control computer executed a high level
multitasking language; each task being allocated to a
particular motion, with synchronisation markers to
keep each in sequence. This degree of control proved
invaluable, as the video was being continuously
edited by the exhibition design team right up until
the last few hours before the press preview day.
.
These photographs show the stand
before the camouflage was added to
hide the sub-frame.