Legolab 11
Date: 14-05-12
Duration: 3h
Group members attending: Tore, Troels & Kristian
Goal
The for today is to come up with ideas for the final project.
Plan
1. Read through and discuss the different suggestions on the legolab page (*1).
2. Other ideas.
3. Deciding on three ideas.
Execution
Idea 1 - Paint bot:
- Project description:
The
basic idea is to take as input a black/white image and have a
differential driven car draw the image. The robot should be able to
affect the outcome of the picture in some ‘artistic’ way - not just
represent the picture as it is on the computer.
- Hardware/software platform and software architecture
We plan on using the navigation class from the earlier lab session and extend the class a little.
We would need two motors, one for each wheel, and a motor to raise and lower the pen.
The
initial idea is to have some program running on the laptop with a
bluetooth connection to the NXT. We input a picture to the server, which
sends it to the NXT. Some image transformation must be done to make it
into a 2-dimensional bit array and then have the robot draw the image
from the array.
- Point out difficult problems that needs to be solved
The navigation class may not be precise enough. Modifications may be necessary.
Transformation of the image may prove hard. We would also need an algorithm to make the robot decide how to draw the image.
- What can we present at the end of the project
A robot that given an image, can draw that image.
- Inspiration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL14jUEIbG4
http://robotics.benedettelli.com/portrayer.htm
Idea 2 - Legway:
- Project description:
A
robot that is able to balance on two wheels just like a Segway. It
should be able to follow a line and drive according to it. Otherwise it
should be remote controlled.
- Hardware/software platform and software architecture
We
would expand on our earlier work with the legway from the lab session
by using an accelerometer or gyroscope to help with the balancing. As
well as two motors for the wheels.
We would need to have a suppression algorithm so the balancing always suppresses the movement if it needs to.
- Point out difficult problems that needs to be solved
It
is difficult to make a robot standstill and balance at the same time.
Thus making it way more difficult to make and actual implementation that
will be able to drive around. At the same time it will be difficult to
enable it to move up ramps and the like. It requires some kind of
layering algorithms to keep the robot standing while being able to turn
and adapt to changing inclines.
- What can we present at the end of the project
We
can present a lego version of the well known Segway. It will be remote
controlled or follow a line around. Hopefully it will be able to handle
different inclines.
- Inspiration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KQcUo3JVUs&feature=related
Idea 3 - cleaning robot:
- Project description:
We
place a whiteboard on the floor, draw “dirt” on it in form of black
drawings, and have the robot wipe it off again. It should also be able
to avoid obstacles.
- Hardware/software platform and software architecture
With
inspiration from the vast numbers of random vacuum robots on the
market. We want to implement our own algorithm so that the robot will be
able to avoid obstacles and drive around the whiteboard in a randomized
fashion but with the most optimal choices. It will require a distance
sensor or a pressure sensor. A layered software architecture that will
enable the sensors to take over control when obstacles are met. Maybe
some kind of tracking of the route so far, so the robot won’t clean the
same areas twice.
- Point out difficult problems that needs to be solved
There should be some sort of optimization in the cleaning.
It may not be easy to determine when the robot should stop cleaning.
- What can we present at the end of the project
A cleaning robot able to wipe the surface of a whiteboard clean while not getting stuck in obstacles.
- Inspiration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5re7l2ZDxo4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLEDkabmGhY
Status
We
would prefer to do our first project suggestion, that is, the drawing
robot. We like idea of having the robot transform some input and make
its’ own output. We also feel like this has the most show value. If that
is not possible we would prefer the cleaning robot and last the segway.
References
(*1) http://legolab.cs.au.dk/DigitalControl.dir/Projects.html
http://www.imm.dtu.dk/English/Teaching/Laboratories/iMars_Lab.aspx
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/montesns/Robot_Projects.htm
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