1 Cartel: Cartography (mapmaking) + Intel (intelligence) Preliminary Design Review ECE4007 L01 – Senior Design – Fall 2007 School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Project Advisor: Dr. Hamblen Autonomous Multi-robot Mapping System Brandon Chong - Team Leader David Esiobu Jonathan King Mark Nfodzo Christopher Pau - Webmaster

22 Autonomous Multi-Robot Mapping System Develop two prototypes of mapping robot Map urban warfare areas for U.S. Military Improve on expensive and complex military robots Design our system cheaper, specialized, and expandable Focus on cost, expandability, and autonomy

33 Mounting Diagram Source: Microsoft

Finished Robot Side View Front View 4

55 Cartel Controller Cartel Controller Monitors and handles all requests Sensor Controller Sensor data and Servo controls Robot Controller iRobot commands Wireless Controller b/g Network Communications Intelligence Controller Generates movement operations Runs on startup Stores Initial position Map Data Starts deployment procedure

Sensors Controller Interfaces with - Phidgets InterfaceKit 8/8/8 (IR, Sonar, Compass) - Servo board HiTec HS-322HD Servo

77 Sensors Ultrasonic LV MaxSonar EZ1 Not accurate Not sensitive enough for small changes Non-linear output – reference table used Sharp GP2D12 IR Sensor Short distance (to 60 cm), but fairly accurate Non-linear output – reference table used Dinsmore 1655 Compass Slow to changes (2.5 secs) Hard to calibrate – dual analog outputs NOT USED

88 Servo 1-motor Phidgets Servo 255 degree range IR mounted on top Used for -90° to 90° pointing front of the robot

9 Robot Controller Initialize the Create Translate commands to the Create’s Open Specification Monitor robot on a separate thread as it approaches motion goals

10 Intelligence Controller – State Diagram Initialize Search GoToTrackFeature

11 Intelligence Controller – Scanning 20” Reliable range of IR sensor Approx. range of Sonar sensors 28”

12 Intelligence Controller – Scanning video

13 Opens Socket for receiving data Opens Socket for sending data Sends Broadcast Packets with the following data: –Host ID –Heading –X and Y coordinates –Arrays showing discovered objects and explored areas Receives data continuously on its own thread Automatically updates robots arrays from the received data Wireless Controller

14 Mapping Software Created with QT toolkit in C++ Receives UDP packets from the robots Plots unexplored area as grey squares Plots unoccupied area as white squares Plots occupied area as blue squares

Technical Specifications Design AspectProposedActual Robot Dimensions<0.75 m x 0.75 m x 0.75 m m x m Robot Weight<15 lb11.24l b Robot Power RequirementsPower eBox from RobotPowered eBox from Robot with 5 V at 1.5 A Robot Battery Life>2 hrs>3 hrs AutonomousRobots explore and map area with no human interaction Robots explore and map area after initial setup Wireless Communication Range 38 m indoors> 38 m indoors 15

Timeline Finished Hardware Nov. 4 th Finished 90% Software Testing and Debug started Nov. 28 th 16

Results Achieved power requirements for eBox Successful wireless communications Successfully displays map with mapping software Successfully interfaced with sensors and servo Single Robot will move and execute mapping algorithm No expandability Needs initial setup 17

Future Work Complete mapping process Be able to use more than two robots in the system Decrease error with simultaneous localization and mapping techniques Improve on algorithms Expand map size 18