RFID Automated Navigation of a Mobile Platform Tommy Brant, Charles Harper, Patrick Smith, Eni Ofong, Caleb Howell Georgia Institute of Technology School of Electrical and Computer Engineering October 27, 2008

Project Overview The Mobile Platform (MP) is a robot-based system which uses an embedded system and RFID tags to communicate wirelessly with a remote GUI to navigate itself to a final destination

Business Aspect Intended for use in warehouses as a subsystem of automated storage(AS) and retrieval systems(RS) Appeals to AS/RS developers for use in easily expandable retrieval systems Costs $41,600 includes the product and labor for the on-site setup of the network of checkpoints

Project Goals Wireless communication between the GUI and the robot control systems RFID tagged areas to identify the location of the robot Motor control to travel on a point to point basis Overall objective is for the MP to arrive at the user- determined destination by following the shortest path through a network of RFID checkpoints

RFID Automated MP

Design Approach Program components separately to ensure the correct output Once desired outputs are achieved, attach hardware components together and modify code if needed for components to communicate properly

RFID MP System

System Logic Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Gumstix Verdex Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

Determine Direction Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Gumstix Verdex Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

Wireless Transmission Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Gumstix Verdex Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

Network Card Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Gumstix Verdex Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

Motherboard Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Gumstix Verdex Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

Update Direction Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Gumstix Verdex Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

Movement Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Gumstix Verdex Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

RFID Search Loop Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

Checkpoint Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

Back To Network Card Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

Return Info. Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Gumstix Verdex Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

Wait for Next Action Is at RFID? No Yes Transmit via ad-hoc CPU decides direction for robot Gumstix Netpro-vx Gumstix Verdex Stop robot Transmit via ad-hoc Gumstix Netpro-vx Turn robot in needed direction Robot Movement

Automation Demonstration Example

Map With RFID Checkpoints

Graphical User Interface

Choose Starting Position

Starting Position

Choose Final Destination

Plot of the Path

Start

Forward Movement 1

Checkpoint 1

Forward Movement 2

Checkpoint 2

Turn Right

Continue on Path

Forward Movement 3

Checkpoint 3

Forward Movement 4

Arrival at Final Destination

End Movement

MP Capabilities With Additional Technology

Current and Potential Problems Current –Due to the delay in receiving parts, we are slightly behind schedule Potential –Proper communication between different hardware components –Centering the mobile platform over the tag for changing direction –Developing algorithms for shortest path –Power supply to the robot components –Heat dissipation from the Gumstix modules.

Project Schedule After Today

Cost Analysis

RFID Cartographer’s Status All the group members have their hardware components yielding the expected output We are starting to meet together to test and troubleshoot communication between components