Technical information

DRV Final Evaluation Report

looking out the side window. This was accomplished with the combination joystick

pushbutton control. There were no reported complaints about the ergonomics of the

joystick. In fact, operators were enthused about the use of the joystick pushbutton

combination.

Deploying the arm from the folded up position to the roadside is a complex process

because of the pre-existing design of the arm. Likewise, folding the arm up to dump the

garbage is also a tedious task. Both of these sequences were automated. Automating

features allows an operator to accomplish a second task such as preparing for the next

action or possibly moving the vehicle to the next location while the machine finishes a

sequence. Field testing results indicate that software features could be added allowing for

changes in the environment such as working on banked shoulders and working next to

sound walls. In addition, an efficient method of dumping garbage and a simpler arm

design should be investigated.

Looking Forward

The purpose of looking forward is not to document answers but to gather ideas for future

investigation based on results of the field operational testing and evaluation phase. The

development of a next generation machine should take into consideration the valuable

lessons learned during this field operational testing and evaluation phase and develop a

machine around the results. An operator must be comfortable and tedious task should be

automated. In addition, a well defined debris removal plan has to be in place.

The operator should be able to comfortably retrieve debris working from either side of

the vehicle. They should be able to view the task without looking over their shoulder or

putting any other undo stress on their body. This means taking a new look at the

placement and orientation of the operator in relation to the manipulator and location of

the debris. Several suggestions have been made to accomplish this. The use of a center

drive cab with a rotating seat and adequate viewing area through an enlarged window

space addresses most of the complications encountered. This allows an operator to

switch from retrieving debris off the median to the shoulder without getting out of the

vehicle to change sides. In addition, the swivel and lock seat allows the operator to view

the task head-on. A variation on this idea is having a cab that would accommodate

swivel seats on either side using a dual steer vehicle but is less eloquent and includes

redundant equipment. The idea of a camera and viewing screen has also been discussed.

This would eliminate the need for rotating seats but may introduce new complications

such as display brightness or seeing hazards outside the viewing area of the camera.

Another arm design utilizing a linear extendable arm, such as used on extend-a-hoe

backhoes, might allow the arm to reach far enough forward to make it easier to view and

increase overall range.

There are many types of debris that are common to all areas. The debris consists mostly

of bagged garbage, lumber, tires, and trimmed vegetation. Most of this debris can be

retrieved using a common end effector, however, it is reasonable to consider different end

effectors used as changeable implements. Designing with the concept of a removable