Genesis Carr, Tomi Chowdhury, Rachel Cogan, Brenda Gutierrez,

1
Autonomous Robot IEEE Robotics Competition
Genesis Carr, Tomi Chowdhury, Rachel Cogan,
Brenda Gutierrez, Jason Harris, Christopher
Moravec, Raymond Urbano
genesisc_at_utdallas.edu, txc066000_at_utdallas.edu,
rcc033000_at_utdallas.edu, bmg041000_at_utdallas.edu,
jason.harris_at_student.utdallas.edu,
csm036000_at_utdallas.edu, rru041000_at_utdallas.edu
Department of Electrical Engineering Erik Jonsson
School of Engineering Computer
Science University of Texas at Dallas Richardson,
Texas 75083-0688, U.S.A.
Project Results
Project Goals

• Succeed at the 2008 IEEE Region 5 Student
  Robotics Competition
• To further research in autonomous hazardous
  waste transport by designing and building a robot
  that will sort and move containers in a mock
  warehouse scenario.
• To create a robot that will minimize human
  interaction with hazardous material handling

• Successfully built an autonomous vehicle to sort
  containers
• The Brain
• Uses a Verilog state machine with over 200 states
• Required porting to a micro controller just
  before the competition because of complications
  with the FPGA board
• Weight System
• Weighs the casks using resistive pressure sensors
  
• Required re-design for competition due to FPGA
  complications
• Determines weight by using the relative
  deflection of a spring-loaded arm while the
  servos are off
• Arm Control
• Utilizes a two arm design for more efficient pick
  up and delivery
• Picks up casks smoothly and accurately each time
• Color Vision System
• Identifies bins by comparing the color to preset
  color swaths
• Avoids differences in lighting conditions by
  using this method
• Driving System
• Follows lines on the course using a proportional
  control algorithm fed by input from the line
  sensor bars
• Motor Controller
• Controls the motors via the H-Bridge circuitry by
  creating a 60Hz pulse width modulation signal
• Communication Bus

Project Overview

• The robots design consists of several modular
  systems. Below lists the necessary functions of
  each system
• The Brain
• Knows casks destination bases on its weight
• Instructs the driving system on optimal delivery
  path
• Weight System
• Determines cask weights
• Displays weights according to competition rules
• Arm Control

Special Design Challenges and Solutions

• Motor Interference or EMI (Electro Magnetic
  Interference)
• Added ferrite beads to power and ground lines to
  help eliminate high frequency interference caused
  by the motors
• Added redundant communication schemes
• Added optical-isolators to separate the motor
  controller from the driving controller to prevent
  unwanted feed back on the serial lines
• Used separate power sources to reduce the affect
  of large current draws caused by the motors on
  the logic circuitry

Project Conclusions/Outcomes

• Successfully competed at the IEEE Region 5
  student robotics contest
• Successfully completed a robot to sort containers
  based on weigh and place them in the correct
  corresponding bin
• Furthered research in the area of autonomous
  vehicles by providing ourselves with an
  introductory look at how autonomous vehicles
  work, and how they are created