Little Homie Presentation

1
Little Homie Presentation

• Jesse Martin
• 12/04/02
• Intelligent Machine Design Lab

2
Overview

• Application
• Sensors
• SOFTWARE
• Pitfalls
• Conclusion

3
Application

• What I said it would do.
• Autonomously take pictures of things that is
  interesting
• Robot will have a rich UI from an onboard Pocket
  PC
• Pictures taken will be stored on the pocket PC
  where they can be viewed, emailed, or sent to a PC

4
Application

• What Little Homie actually does
• Take high resolution images of people (not
  necessarily interesting people)
• Up to 1248 x 960 pixels
• Images are stored on 32 mb Flash where they can
  be transferred to a PC via USB
• Provide the user with a rich UI via Pocket PC
• On board diagnostics tool

5
Sensors

• 2 Sharp GPD212 IR
• 2 Whisker Bump switches
• Aiptek Pencam
• HVW Technologies PIR Sensor

6
PIR Sensor

• Advantages
• Cheap!! Cost only 10.95
• Neat Fresnel Lens
• Only Three Lines

• Disadvantages
• Digital
• If platform moves, you get unreliable readings

7
CMUcam

• Originally had plans on using the CMUcam to take
  pictures but
• Takes about 4.8 sec to transmit small image over
  serial port at 115k baud
• My microprocessor doesnt even support that speed
• Therefore, on my uP, it would take about 15 sec
• Images arent buffered!

8
CMUcam
Steady Picture _at_ 313 x 285
What is this????
9
CMUcam

• Too low quality unreliable results
• Solution..
• Aiptek Pencam!

10
Aiptek Pencam

• 32 mb Flash can store 140 pictures
• Small
• Low Power
• 1248 X 960 resolution
• Can take video

11
Interfacing Pencam

• Just need to connect wires from the Pencams
  buttons to a microprocessor controlled relay

12
Aiptek Pencam
CMUcam
13
Pocket PC Software

• Main Menu
• Control Panel
• Actuation Calibration
• Test Camera
• Take Pictures
• (View Pictures is disabled)

14
Pocket PC Software

• Control Panel Allows you
• Test sensors
• Test motors
• Test Servos
• Obstacle Avoid

15
Pocket PC Software

• Actuation Calibration
• Allows you to change each motors values to make
  the robot go straight or turn in the manor you
  want it too

16
Pocket PC Software

• Test Camera
• Allows you to
• Turn on Camera
• Take a Picture
• Clear Contents on camera

17
Pocket PC Software

• Take Pictures
• Main Program

18
Pitfalls

• Caster Wheel
• Would always get stuck so platform couldnt go
  straight
• Solution Replaced it with a stub
• Interfacing CMUcam
• Couldnt get clear images from CMUcam
• Max baud rate on uP too slow
• Solution Replaced CMU cam with Aiptek Pencam

19
Conclusion

• Orginal vision for Little Homie was Pie in the
  Sky
• Total Cost over 694.63 (not including PPC)
• 73.30 in shipping
• 109.00 wasted toward CMUcam
• Burned out many IRs
• Bought wrong items and vendor wouldnt take back

20
Conclusion

• As of right now, 1,462 lines of code has been
  written
• Many more lines are hidden

21
Conclusion
Any Questions???