Development and Simulation of an Ergonomic Control System for a Large Construction Manipulator

This paper discusses the development and implementation of a new ergonomic manual control system for a large construction manipulator. The manipulator consists of a 22 ton rough terrain hydraulic crane with a multifunction manipulator attachment. The combined device gives a single operator hydraulic control over eight independent joint axes allowing for dextrous positioning of large sections of pipe or steel. The application for the machine is in industrial construction as found in the building of chemical plants, power facilities, and other process industries. This study discusses how the new ergonomic control system was developed and how a computer graphics model of this pipe manipulator was used to test this system. Implementation of the new system on the actual machine is also discussed.