I'm looking for advice on which servo, push ram, will operate like a (FUTABA) remote control servo. The more the joystick is moved, the more the servo moves. Because of my paralysis, I want to be able to work the clutch on a car, via a motorcycle clutch lever on my hand control. My problem is I don't know what application will do this for me. HELP!

 

Stew,
I just want to emphasize that any solution you find for your application needs thorough consideration for safety. Any system you install should be fail-safe. Not only is your life at stake, but depending on where you live and drive, MINE might be as well!

One suggestion is for a clutch actuator with a spring built into the design that counteracts the clutch spring force directly. That way, if the clutch actuator fails, it would fail with the clutch disengaged. Might save your front bumper, garage door, or ???

Smooth positioning capability will be crucial for smooth torque engagement. I would prefer some kind of simple mechanical power assist device (like a hydrovac) rather than a servo system. You close the loop with your sense of smoothness, rather than trying to write an algorithm that closes a position loop which is blind to friction chatter, different friction coefficients as a function of temp, humidity, etc.

I have developed automotive clutch engagement controls for test stands, and what seemed like a trivial task wound up being much more complex than I would have imagined. Upshifting, downshifting, hill holding, driving on ice, being stuck in a ditch, towing . . . the situations you must account for are pretty broad.

Ken Brown
Applied Motion Systems, Inc.