Smart Rover Aaron Westphal Ben Merkel Joe Merrill Mike Wissolik

Baseline Project Objectives Design and develop an unmanned rover. Ability to: Receive data via central computer. Locate GPS coordinates. Locate heading via a digital compass. Micro Processors on board provide ‘smarts’. Tank-like Motor control and motion. Completely scalable and upgradeable platform. Create a simple and effective user interface.

Purpose Incorporates a plethora of design task. Mechanical EE CS System integration Unmanned mobile devices have become the workhorse for many industries.

Outline of Approach Define Functionality. Establish means and methods. Delegate responsibilities. Mike and Aaron – Processor functionality (Smarts) Ben and Joe – Hardware and EE development Construction.

Target Consumers Open design Allows for a wide range of duties: Military Mining Geological Surveying Utility Companies Much More Potential to be very profitable.

User interface

Micro Processors PIC 16F876 Feature: USART (single) I2C bus interface ISP and debugging. A/D converter All powered off single clean switching power supply.

Modularity Each feature controlled by it’s own PIC. A “Bus Master” PIC will control data flow between different PIC’s. The actual bus will be implemented via I2C. This allows us to: Add any functionality provided it has it’s own PIC. Be completely scalable and upgradeable. Allow for after market add-ons with no change to original platform.

PC RF Link PIC IIC Bus PIC Digital Compass Bus Master GPSMotor Control Additional PIC’s Expandability Motors PIC Block Diagram PIC

Expandables Ability to store positional and environmental data via EEPROM: Obstruction data. Mine location data. Additional roaming modes: “smart mode”: Navigate from point to point while avoiding known obstructions. “Aquire Mode”: In case of RFCOMM loss, search for obstructions without being told to. Sonar, radar, camera, audio.

Motor Control Tank like design offers more versatile solution. Speed control. (D/A) Feedback. (A/D) Digital to analog interface.

GPS UART HCI to unique PIC Provides latitude and longitude information to system High accuracy and ability to operate in any location/environment Thousands of updates every second allow for continuous direction calculations

Digital Compass Digital Compass provides bearing of rover. Controlled by same PIC which controls GPS and will relay information to motor control PIC Interfaced over IIC bus or UART

RF COMM RS-232 emulator provides low cost and easy to implement RF link. Self contained unit including power supply eases system integration and reduces power constraints.

Manufacturability Manufacturability is low cost since the basic rover never changes Once rover and peripherals are qualified, there is no need to re-qualify the rover in any configuration

Safety This project will be safe to the end consumer When working with power tools eye protection will be worn No user voltages above 14 Vdc No sharp objects exposed All electronics can be concealed

Impact on Society Pave the way for unmanned low-cost customizable vehicles Put existing technologies to practical use for innovative applications Upgradeability allows for limitless possibilities

Schedule

Risks Communication problems with many PICs on same I2C bus Under designing the powered chassis disallowing adequate mobility Magnetic interference on compass accuracy from permanent magnet motors Lack of resolution on available GPS boards

Contingency Add more functionality to single PIC to lessen need for other PICs Use proven chassis that has been prefabricated Alternate source of directional information