Saferoads Engineering's research and development division is responsible for designing highway safety products. This involves conducting crash tests to assess the effectiveness of these products. My primary role in the organization included both conducting these tests and constructing devices to facilitate their execution. The challenge arose when dealing with large vehicles, as steering them in a straight path during crash tests proved to be quite challenging. I was assigned the task of conceptualizing and building a system capable of transforming a sizable truck into a remotely controlled car for more precise testing.
The company exclusively comprised civil and mechanical engineers, necessitating me to self-educate in PCB design and C/C++ to construct the required device. My system employed a 12V battery, driving a linear actuator for the gas pedal, a servo for the brake pedal, and a sizable DC motor for steering. I engineered an encoder ring and integrated it with the DC motor to enable precise positional control. The Eagle-designed PCB regulated the voltage to 5V for the ESP32 and RC receiver. Additionally, the device incorporated a compact OLED screen at the rear for adjusting settings such as starting position, power, and speed.
Regrettably, I was unable to finish the mechanical aspect of the project within the allotted time during my coop term. Nevertheless, the electrical and software components were successfully developed and fully operational. The device was successfully used in countless crash tests where only emergency braking mode was configured.
*Note: I am unable to post the code for the project as it is owned by Saferoads Engineering