Bachelor Thesis
The presented thesis paper showcases a tangible model for tracking the exact position of a pendulum wire on x and y axes, fit to detect horizontal movements, meant to be used in tracking shifts in position of dams and otherwise large structures for maintaining their structural integrity. The placement of the wire is detected based on the shadow it leaves behind over two image sensors disposed orthogonally. The source of light for each axis is represented by a LED, whose divergent light rays are converted into parallel ones through a Fresnel lens. The electronic ensemble is constructed on a printed circuit board, responsible for connecting the sensors, the microcontroller and the means of communication. The control of the system is assured by programming the microcontroller peripherals, using a timer for periodically processing measurements, the internal analog comparator for digitalizing the signals, and the reception interrupt for serial data transmission once a specific character is received. The innovation brought by this prototype consists in the digital filtering methods applied, offering more precision. The performance of the final product can be observed through a Python graphical user interface, capable to display the processed signal for a selected axis and automatically calculate the position of the pendulum. The measurement results are observed to be consistent, with minimal errors.