ECE 477 Digital Systems Senior Design Project Rev 8/09
Homework 2: Design Project Proposal
Team Code Name: ______HOARD______Group No. __2___
Team Members (#1 is Team Leader):
#1: ____Jamis Martin ______Areas of Expertise: _Software, PCB, and Robotics__
#2: ____Jay Zifer ______Areas of Expertise: _ Software and Communications_
#3: ____Brad Nowak ______Areas of Expertise: __Hardware and robotics _
#4: ____Trenton Andres______Areas of Expertise: __Hardware and integration_____
Project Abstract:
HOARD (Horde Of Autonomous Robotic Devices) is a collection of simple autonomous robots that utilize swarm behavior to accomplish predefined tasks to demonstrate collective intelligence. Each robot will utilize a collection of sensors to interact with the environment as well as a RF radio for communication with other robots. Tasks will include search, group movement and predator avoidance.
Design/Functionality Overview:
The aim of this design project is to design a “swarm” of robots. Each individual robot will be equiped with 6 IR LEDs and 6 corresponding IR sensors surrounding the chasis. They will be used for object avoidance as well as help with directional proximity to other robots in the swarm. In addition to the IR sensors, a pair of ambient light sensors will be mounted on each robot. These sensors will be used during several swarm tasks and behaviors, one of which being able to seek out the brightest area. Several different colored LEDs will be mounted on the robots for visual notification purposes. The mobility of the robots will be achieved by two geared motors attached to wheels. Each robot will also be equiped with an RF tranceiver and antenna unit, which will allow them to communicate with eachother. This will be an ad-hoc network that will send packets containing information such as ID, sensor data, instructions, etc. from one robot to the others, allowing individuals to contribute to an overall swarm task or behavior. All of these components will then interface with a microcontroller. The hardware aspects of each robot were consciously kept simple enough so that it would not be difficult to make many robots, but advanced enough to be able to achieve sophisticated behavior.
The motivation behind creating a swarm of robots instead of a single robot is to be able to divide a task up between multiple robots that would too difficult or take too much time for a single robot to accomplish. One application of the swarm will be a search and rescue objective. It is much more efficient to have multiple robots covering different areas. Another application would be monitoring large areas for hazardous chemical spills. The swarm will be able to simulate this by working together to seek out the brightest light source (i.e. the chemical spill) in a divide and conquer technique. The swarm has military applications as well such as follow-the-leader and avoiding “predators”. A positive aspect to having many robots over a single one is that if one robot of the swarm becomes incapacitated, it has little effect on the overall task of the swarm. Conversely, if anything happens to a robot operating in a solitary application, the whole mission is compromised.
Each team member will contribute to every part of the project in one way or another. Team members will also lead the design, development, and testing of certain aspects of the project. Due to Brad’s experience with hardware and robotics he will be in charge of the wireless and motor control systems. Jamis has experience with PCB design and will be lead for that portion of this project. In addition Jamis will create the protocol for the ad-hoc network and lead development on software drivers for the wireless system. Jay will be the primary lead on software development. This includes the routines that govern agent behavior as well as the various housekeeping subroutines. Trenton will be in charge of the mechanical design of the robots and sensor arrays.
The cost of each individual robot is approximately $35. This low cost will allow the team to construct an estimated 8 robots for around $300 total. The chasis will be fabricated by the group, which saves a lot of money and also allows for maximum customization that will be needed to make 8 robots efficiently. All other components were chosen with cost and simplicity in mind since the design will have to be replicated multiple times.
Project-Specific Success Criteria:
1. The ability for individual agents to move autonomously.
2. The ability to analyze surrounding environment via ambient light sensors.
3. The ability to communicate between agents over ad-hoc RF network.
4. The ability to establish directional proximity of agent to other objects using IR.
5. The ability for multiple robots to utilize swarm behavior to perform a search for targets in a defined area.
Block Diagram:
Division of Labor:
Design Component Homework / Professional Component Homework4-Packaging Design and Specs / TJ / 3-Design Constraint Analysis/Parts List / TJ
5-Hardware Narrative and Prelim Schematic / Brad / 10-Patent Liability Analysis / Brad
6-PCB Narrative and Prelim Layout / Jamis / 11-Reliability and Safety Analysis / Jamis
9-Software Design Narrative / Jay / 12-Social/Political/Environmental Analysis / Jay