1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. RFID Automated MP

6. 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

7. RFID MP System

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. Automation Demonstration Example

21. Map With RFID Checkpoints

22. Graphical User Interface

23. Choose Starting Position

24. Starting Position

25. Choose Final Destination

26. Plot of the Path

27. Start

28. Forward Movement 1

29. Checkpoint 1

30. Forward Movement 2

31. Checkpoint 2

32. Turn Right

33. Continue on Path

34. Forward Movement 3

35. Checkpoint 3

36. Forward Movement 4

37. Arrival at Final Destination

38. End Movement

39. MP Capabilities With Additional Technology

40. 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.

41. Project Schedule After Today

42. Cost Analysis

43. 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