SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Bull E

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 2009 Southeastern Conference (SECON)

Hardware Competition

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Outline•Introduction•Problem•Solution•Status: Technical Constraints/Goals

•Improvements•Arms/Servos•PCB•Dog Fence•Tracks•IR Sensors

ProblemHow long?

4 minutesHow big?

Maximum robot dimensions: 12 ” x 12 ” x 18 ” Astroturf field dimensions: 10 ’ x 10 ’

How many?1 to 3 labeled plastic bags

5 aluminum cans10 recyclables 3 plastic bottles

2 glass bottlesHow much?

Correctly sorted can or plastic bottle = 15 pointsCorrectly sorted glass bottle = 30 pointsIncorrectly sorted recyclable = 5 points [1]

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SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

The Field

[1]

The Recyclables

• Total 1.1 lbs• 16% available volume

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Our Solution

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Our Solution

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Team A

Dr. Bryan Jones,

AdvisorThomas

DonaldsonPatrick

DuckworthSteven Austin Davis Grier

Locomotion X X

Object Detection X X

Boundary Detection

X

Object Acquisition X

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Technical Constraint StatusConstraint Description

Minimum Speed Search 100 sq. ft in 4 minutes (~ 8.6 in/sec)

Dimensions 12 “ x 12 “ x 18 “

Power Efficiency Operate for 10 minutes

Acquisition Retrieve aluminum cans, glass bottles, and plastic bottles

Boundary Detection Detect 10 kHz dog fence within 3 inches

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Technical Constraint StatusConstraint Status

Minimum Speed Exceeds

Dimensions Compliant

Power Efficiency Exceeds

Acquisition Compliant

Boundary Detection Compliant

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Environmental

• Robot cannot damage items• Cans/bottles may only suffer structural dents• Glass may not be shattered

• Robot cannot damage the field

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Manufacturability

• “Modularity”

• Software – clean separation, testing

• Hardware – accessible components, spares!

• Will be within dimensions

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Outline•Introduction•Problem•Solution•Status: Technical Constraints/Goals

•Improvements•Arms/Servos•PCB•Dog Fence•Tracks•IR Sensors

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Prototype Arms

PROS CONS

+Very rigid - Difficult to align

+ Did not jam bottles between prongs

- Prongs impaled bottles, cans

- Blocked IR sensor

- Can be jammed by bottle

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Prototype Arm Refinements

• Can sag and block internal IR sensorServos braced to prevent droop

• Some flexibility Reinforced for added rigidity

• Plastic bottle can jam armsInstalled normally-open limit switch

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Final Arms

PROS CONS

+ Easily fabricated - Flexible

+ Easily aligned - Bottle can jam

+ Do not jam each other

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Printed Circuit Board

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Outline•Introduction•Problem•Solution•Status: Technical Constraints/Goals

•Improvements•Arms/Servos•PCB•Dog Fence•Tracks•IR Sensors

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Dog Fence (Construction)

• Circuit• Antenna• PCB

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Dog Fence (Construction)

• Circuit• Antenna• PCB V+

V-

-

+

50µF

100x10nO

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Dog Fence (Construction)

• Circuit• Antenna• PCB

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Dog Fence (Construction)

• Circuit• Antenna• PCB

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Outline•Introduction•Problem•Solution•Status: Technical Constraints/Goals

•Improvements•Arms/Servos•PCB•Dog Fence•Tracks•IR Sensors

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Tracks

Old Design New DesignPlacement & Side Guard

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Packaging: Motors

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

IR SensorsPast problems:• Range• Lighting conditions• Accuracy• Color of object• Pulsing

Solution (GP2D120):• Triangulation• CCD array• Light immunity

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Video

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

References

[1] Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Southeastcon 2009 Hardware Competition: The Recycling Robot, 2008 August 28, http://hardware.gtieee.org/southeastcon2009/SoutheastCon-2009-Hardware-Rules.pdf. Accessed September 26, 2008.

SECON Team A

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Questions

?