Tiller/Comb
Background
The Tiller and Comb are the last steps in the grooming process. The plow gets rid of and large bumps and generally smooths the terrain. It is the job of the tiller/comb to smooth out any imperfections in the snow and apply the corduroy pattern found at most ski hills. The tiller part of the assembly tills the snow fluffing it and making it easier to shape for the comb. The comb is then dragged over the freshly tilled snow shaping and packing it into the corduroy shape.
Control System
The system uses a load cell at rthe base of the linear actuator to colect the force the comb is appling to the snow. The control system moves the assembly up or down to maintain a desired force, input by the user. Since the system is relatively slow, just a proportional control system is used. The layout looks like this:
