ECE 477 Digital Systems Senior Design Project Fall 2005

Homework 2: Final Design Project Proposal Due: Thursday, September 8, at Classtime

Team Code Name: T. R. A. P. (Trash Removing Autonomous Predator) Group No. 2

Team Members (#1 is Team Leader):

#1: Valentinos Zachariou Signature: ______Date: ______

#2: Ricky Kannothra Signature: ______Date: ______

#3: Michael Dorsey Signature: ______Date: ______

#4: Jeffrey Alvin Signature: ______Date: ______

Abstract:

Design and build an autonomous robot which will be able to traverse a user-defined area, identify objects by their color as trash, automatically pick them up and dispose of them in an attached basket until full. The robot will then pause until basket is replaced. The robot will be powered by mounted batteries.

Design Objectives:

1) Power robot using mounted batteries. 2) Use microcontroller and camera to identify color of desired trash. 3) Interface ultrasonic sensors with microcontroller to avoid obstacles. 4) Interface motorized shovel with microcontroller to place trash in basket. 5) Interface microcontroller with wheel motors to control the base of the robot. 6) Interface microcontroller with numeric keypad to input length and width of area to patrol. The selected width and length will be displayed on a LCD display. 7) Use infrared sensor to distinguish when attached basket is full.

Design/Functionality Overview:

The robot is designed to be used on a flat, smooth surface (i.e. tile, blacktop, concrete). The user will input the size of the desired area to be cleaned using a keypad, by specifying length and width. The selection will be displayed on a LCD display. The robot will then autonomously patrol that area by using a wheel-motorized base, individually controlled by the microcontroller. The robot will use a camera to distinguish the dominant color of the area to be cleaned as well as to distinguish the shape and color of any trash that will be picked up. Designated trash for this robot will be empty, red aluminum cans. Once trash is identified the robot will approach it and use a shovel to place it in a basket that will be towed. Once the basket is full the robot will pause and wait until a resume command is issued using the keypad ECE 477 Digital Systems Senior Design Project Fall 2005

(assuming the basket is now empty). The robot will be able to avoid any obstacles along its patrol route by using an ultrasonic sensor.

Project-Specific Success Criteria (list 5):

1) Ability to identify empty, red aluminum cans for pickup 2) Ability to pick up identified object(s) 3) Ability to automatically traverse the pickup zone, a rectangular grid 4) Ability to detect a “basket full” condition 5) Ability to set operation mode using a keypad and display system status using a LCD display

Software Module List:

1. Initialization a. Initialize all sensors, motors, camera, and do a general error check b. Wait for input from key pad 2. Main a. Control patrol movement (motor control) b. Check if defined dimensions of width and length have been met. c. Wait for information from functions Camera and Ultrasonic 3. Camera a. Basic object identification (trash identification) from camera inputs b. Assert a flag once trash recognized c. Turn on some LCD display 4. Ultrasonic a. Controls ultrasonic sensors pulse b. Detects potential obstacles c. Initiates avoid obstacles motor commands 5. Trash pickup a. Controls servo motors to pick up trash piece and place it in bin 6. Turnaround a. Turn around and proceed to the next layer of the defined field 7. Basket full a. Monitor light bean sensor of trash bin, if asserted go to pause position b. Continue from where left, after resume button is pressed.

Design Component Homework Professional Component Homework Packaging Design and Specs Jeffrey Alvin Design Constraint Analysis/Parts Valentinos Zachariou List Circuit Schematic and Narrative Valentinos Zachariou Patent Liability Analysis Jeffrey Alvin Board Layout Ricky Kannothra Reliability and Safety Analysis Ricky Kannothra Software and Narrative Michael Dorsey Social/Political/Environmental Michael Dorsey Analysis ECE 477 Digital Systems Senior Design Project Fall 2005

Waste Basket

Light Beam Sensor

Wheel 1 Keypad for Dimension Wheel 2 Input

Wheel 3 Microcontroller

LEDS Wheel 4

Shovel

Servo Motors

Ultrasonic Mounted Camera Sensor

Mounted Battery