Mechanical Design of a Robotic System for Automatic Installation of Magnetic Markers on the Roadway

Abstract

Magnetic markers embedded into the roadway pavements are used in Intelligent Transportation Systems to provide the reference signals necessary for guiding and controlling vehicles. This technology has already been implemented in several locations in California to provide driver assistance for snowplow operators in harsh winter environments. Installation of these magnetic markers into the roadway pavement is a tedious manual operation. In this paper, we present a novel design of a robotic system developed for installation of these magnetic markers into the roadway pavement. It is shown how dynamic modeling and simulation can be used with simple experimentation to develop a mechanical design of a robotic system to overcome undesirable effects of vibrations due to drilling the roadway. In addition, two new and innovative concepts are introduced in the design of a robotic system. One is the design of a roller-type traction drive to achieve linear motion that can be used in a gantry robotic system and the second is a self-alignment mechanism for proper insertion of magnetic markers that can be used for any insertion and assembly operations.