Difference between revisions of "S17: Sphero Droid"

Sphero Droid

Sphero Droid

Abstract

Robots are revolutionizing almost every industry, primarily in the sectors where human safety is at risk. In hazardous working conditions such as in the mining industry, the lack of knowledge about the geographic nature and the environmental conditions of the mine hinder the rescue operations. Autonomous robots are being employed to improve the plight of mine workers and rescue operators. The robotic vehicle can explore the inaccessible and unworkable mines and disaster-affected areas and send valuable information to the teams to assist in search and rescue operations. But traditional robots could be rendered useless if they are overturned or in terrains having staircases and ledges. Also, there is a possibility of failure of the electrical and mechanical components exposed to the harsh environmental conditions. An autonomous spherical robot is a better option since its shape offers better robustness and rigidity. The spherical robot will enclose all the components within it and will not have any wheels or legs on its exterior. This feature enables it to operate in any hazardous conditions since there will be very less chance for the components to get damaged by the surrounding environment. The spherical design allows it to easily maneuver in different types of terrain, be it stairs or corners, and have no risk of being overturned. These advantages enable the robot for many applications such as exploration and mapping of access routes, surveillance and rescue operations in uncomfortable working conditions.

Objectives & Introduction

The objective of this project is to design an autonomous spherical robot with sensors, Global Positioning System (GPS) module, Bluetooth module and other control units interfaced to the microcontroller, which navigates its way to the destination avoiding obstacles. The temperature and the route followed by the robot can be logged on the SD card. These features enable the robot for many applications such as exploration and mapping of access routes, surveillance and rescue operations in uncomfortable working conditions.

Team Members & Responsibilities

• Harshitha Bura
  • Configured the GPS module, interfaced it with LPC1758 using UART
  • Log the GPS location in a file on the SD card
• Naveen Kumar Bhuthakatanahalli Ramalingaiah
  • Design and create hardware connections between and external parts
  • Configured and implemented the Bluetooth module on the robot, interfaced it with LPC1758 using UART
  • Created an Android application through which the robot can be remotely controlled and data from the robot can be read (GPS data, sensor values etc.) and plotted on the maps.
• Shivam Chauhan
  • Design and create hardware connections between and external parts
  • Configured and interfaced the ultrasonic sensors with LPC1758 using PWM
• Sushma Nagaraj
  • Interfaced the servo motor with the microcontroller using PWM
  • Integrated the various modules used on the robot
• Virginia Menezes
  
  • Interfaced the DC motor with the microcontroller using GPIO
  • Integrated the various modules (motors and sensors)

Schedule

Week#	Start Date	End Date	Task	Status	Actual Completion Date
1	3/21	3/27	Requirement analysis and team discussion to order parts. Determine individual tasks and assigning work based on different modules in project	Done	3/29
2	3/28	4/3	Configure and interface the GPS module with the SJOne board Configure and interface individual sensor with SJOne board Interface motors with the SJOne board Upload code on GitLab	Done	4/9
3	4/9	4/18	Designing PCB Team discussions to integrate the design and work on the algorithm Continue work on individual module (Sensors, motors, GPS) working with SJOne board	Done	4/21
4	4/18	4/25	Integrate the different modules Build the sphere with bearings and enclose the components within it	Done	4/28
5	4/25	5/2	Test in different environments and fix bugs based on different issues Team discussion on extra features that can be implemented	Done	5/7
6	5/2	5/9	Testing and Debugging Work on extra features (if any) Work on Project Report on Wiki	In Progress
7	5/9	5/20	Testing and Debugging Project Presentation and update Wiki	Plan
8	5/16	5/23	Complete Wiki Report and Final Demo	Plan

Parts List & Cost

Qty	Description	Manufacturer	Part Number	Cost	Links
1	SJ One Board [1]	Preet	SJ-one	$80	http://www.socialledge.com/sjsu/index.php?title=SJ_One_Board
2	DC Motor	RobotShop	Pololu 4.5V, 80rpm Right Angle Plastic Gear Motor	$4.95	http://www.robotshop.com/en/pololu-80rpm-right-angle-plastic-gear-motor.html
1	Servo Motor	Fry's electronics	Metal Gear Digital Servo Part No. LS-0009AF	$19.99	http://www.frys.com/product/7027281
1	Motor Driver	Fry's electronics	Motor Driver	$9.99	http://www.frys.com/product/8353697
1	GPS Logger	Spark fun Electronics	Venus638FLPx	$59.95	https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10920
1	Bluetooth Module	Amazon.com	HC-05 Bluetooth	$8.49	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G9KSAF6?psc=1
3	Ultrasonic sensor	Amazon.com	LV Maxsonar -EZ MB1010	$74.85	https://www.amazon.com/Maxbotix-MB1010-LV-MaxSonar-EZ1-Range-Finder/dp/B00A7YGVJI
1	Antenna GPS Embedded SMA	Spark fun Electronics	VTorch Datasheet	$11.95	https://www.sparkfun.com/products/177
1	PCB components	Amazon.com	(7805, 2 pin SPDT switch, 4004 diode, LD1117, Female pin header, male pin header, USB type B female jack, DC power jack, power supply module)	$72.00	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LRXIJRY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2	Wheels	Amazon.com	70 x 8mm Black Robot Wheels	$12.00	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T3MQDHU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2	Bearing	Amazon.com	2 Pcs 22mm Outside Dia Plastic Coated Ball	$7.93	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HR5SJKE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
1	Hollow spherical ball	Amazon.com	Giant Chinchilla Run-About 11-1/2-Inch Exercise Ball	$15.76	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006IK0LA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Design & Implementation

The design section can go over your hardware and software design. Organize this section using sub-sections that go over your design and implementation.

Hardware Design

Discuss your hardware design here. Show detailed schematics, and the interface here.

Hardware Interface

DC Motor Interface with SJOne board

Sensor Interfacing with SJOne board

<b

Software Design

Show your software design. For example, if you are designing an MP3 Player, show the tasks that you are using, and what they are doing at a high level. Do not show the details of the code. For example, do not show exact code, but you may show psuedocode and fragments of code. Keep in mind that you are showing DESIGN of your software, not the inner workings of it.

Implementation

This section includes implementation, but again, not the details, just the high level. For example, you can list the steps it takes to communicate over a sensor, or the steps needed to write a page of memory onto SPI Flash. You can include sub-sections for each of your component implementation.

Testing & Technical Challenges

Describe the challenges of your project. What advise would you give yourself or someone else if your project can be started from scratch again? Make a smooth transition to testing section and described what it took to test your project.

Include sub-sections that list out a problem and solution, such as:

My Issue #1

Discuss the issue and resolution.

Conclusion

Conclude your project here. You can recap your testing and problems. You should address the "so what" part here to indicate what you ultimately learnt from this project. How has this project increased your knowledge?

Project Video

Upload a video of your project and post the link here.

Project Source Code

• Sourceforge Source Code Link

References

Acknowledgement

Any acknowledgement that you may wish to provide can be included here.

References Used

List any references used in project.

Appendix