Autonomous Robotics Sprinkler System Team 10: Frank Azcuy Armando Camacho Benjamin Sturman FIU Department of Mechanical Engineering Miami, Florida EML Spring 2015 Advisor: Dr. Sabri Tosunoglu

Problem Statement  Current conventional automated sprinkler systems are expensive  Do not always provide full coverage  Loss of time while maintaining lawn  Irregularity of watering intervals

Motivation  Current conventional systems are wasteful and inefficient  Decrease water waste  Design a reasonable cost system for lawn care  Take advantage of recent robotic advancements

Project Objectives  Provide a new cost effective autonomous sprinkler robot  A robot that will be able to detect the overall landscape in order to water entire lawn  Self charging to remain completely autonomous and provide the convenience of current standard systems

Literature Survey  Few products on the market (Droplet Robotic Sprinkler, Water Walker System)  High cost sprinkler system  Current sprinkler robots are not fully autonomous

Literature Survey  Utilize similar concepts as autonomous vacuum cleaners  Instead of cleaning floor, an area will be watered  These robot’s room memory, self docking, and object avoidance systems show that it is feasible

Literature Survey  “Deep watering” a lawn requires at least 1 inch of water per square foot.  The average residential flow rate and pressure depends on the size of the residence  Average pressure ranges from psi

Survey of Related Standards  ARSS will adhere to:  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO)  Procedures for safe operation of robots and end users  Irrigation Associations (IA)  Distribute water safely and efficiently while adhering to local regulations  The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)  Standards and safety of electronic systems

Constraints and Considerations  Must be lightweight and powerful to carry a length of hose  Must be able to keep the hose connection always pointing towards base to prevent tangling  Must be exposure proof and handle various terrains effectively

Design Alternatives 1 & 2  Mecanum wheels allow for horizontal strafing  Complicated and expensive  Provide insufficient traction for surfaces that are not flat  3 wheel omnidirectional drivetrain  Each wheel is angled allowing robot to move side to side  Insufficient traction for surfaces that are not flat

Design Alternative 3  2 wheel drivetrain, each are powered  Circular Roomba chassis  Home docking station  Less maneuverability, more traction

Proposed Design  Body  Circular Chassis  Powerful 2 wheel drivetrain  Lightweight for easy transport  Solar powered charging dock  Weather and exposure proof

Proposed Design  Irrigation System  Rotating sprinkler head  Rotating sprinkler base to prevent tangling  Hose retrieval system  Variable water valve

Proposed Design

 Software  Collision detection  Humidity Detection  Cliff (Pool) detection  Emergency water cut-off  Multiple programmable yard profiles

Design Studies and Simulation  Simulations to be conducted:  Structural  Vibrations  Thermal  Fluid mechanics  Drop test analysis  Energy consumption will be calculated and simulated.

Calculations

Global Learning  Use of multi-lingual user’s manuals  Universal Units (SI, US)  Provision of universal power adapters (110/220 volts)  Use of industry standard safety warnings