Fourth Year
-
Maze Solving Robot with Localization
Objective: Utilize an arduino control system to navigate the autonomous rover from: a random point A, to the payload, back to a random point B, within a predefined maze. In addition, the robot should find its location within the maze based on the floor's patter.
Steps: After selecting the physical components such as the sensors and chassis, navigation and localization algorithms were developed. The main program for localization and navigation were written in Matlab, communicating to the micro-controller and the robot through Bluetooth and serial port. Localization was accomplished by incorporating a histogram/probability method with sensor readings. Later, an obstacle avoidance protocol was added to the logic that would enable the robot maneuver within the maze without collision.
Results and Achievements: The robot was able to successfully navigate through the maze from any given point and localize itself after a few steps. Video below shows the robot performing in course contest. Due to the practical nature of this project, my knowledge about micro-controllers, programming and robotics was drastically increased and I was able to apply this knowledge later in capstone project.
-
Sun Tracker
Objective: To design and construct an automatic solar tracking device that utilizes microcontroller and servo motors to automatically track the position of sun with two axis of rotation.
Steps: By applying the theoretical knowledge that was generated in the course, the most appropriate micro-controller was selected for the project. The logic behind the design utilized two methods to accurately track the sun. The first method was based on geolocation and known solar data. The input of the system were GPS coordinates of the device and time of day. Based on known solar data for the location, the micro-controller would then process the data and control two servo motors to face the sun. The second method used light sensors that were placed on the panel to provide input data to the system to controller the servo motors.
Results and Achievements: The device was able to successfully track the position of sun using both methods that were mentioned above. Completing this project further increased my knowledge about micro-controllers and embedded systems and helped me dive deeper into robotics and electronics field.