Autonomous Tick Collection Robot: Platform Development and Driving System Control A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of Degree of Master of Science in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering by Yesiliang Qiu October 2020 Advisor: Dr. Janet Dong Abstract This thesis discusses the design, building, and testing of a novel robot that is used to collect ticks in a variety of rugged terrains in remote areas. The robot provides a new approach for US Army Medical Researchers or other biologists to collect the insects remotely by using a robot equipped with a vision system and GPS system. The approach will change the way that insects are being collected with automation instead of human manual work. The robot is designed to operate in different terrains, including soft grass, dirt, muddy soil, and rocky surface. The robot is weighted within 30 lbs, so the army staff or soldiers can easily carry it to the field. The tick collection robot consists of a robust platform, a driving system, an assembled flag section for high-performance tick selection, and GPS and vision system for autonomous control. There are two modes for tick collection: Running mode and stationary mode. In the running mode, the robot can run 3 hours continuously, and in the stationary mode, the robot can operate 6 hours at one location to collect ticks. The robot platform is about xxx, which makes it easy to carry. The driving system enables the robot to run through various types of abovementioned locations and obstacles. The assembly flag component will make it easy to collect and clean the tick attached to its porous surface. This thesis will address the main structure design, driving system design, control of the driving system including the coding based on ROS, fabrication and assembly of the robot, simulation of the robot in different settings, and the field testing. A robotic solution to tick collection protects humans from a potential illness from bugs and insects carrying disease pathogens, injury from traveling across rough ground, and harm II due to exposure to the elements. The robotic solution has the potential to apply to other research areas. Keywords: Tick, Robotic Mechanism, Robot Control III © Copyright by Yesiliang Qiu 2020 IV Acknowledgement I would like to express my gratitude to all those who helped me during the writing of this thesis. I would extend my sincere thanks to Professor Janet Dong, my advisor, for her constant encouragement and guidance. She has walked me through all the stages of the writing of this thesis. Without her consistent and illuminating instruction, this thesis could not have reached its present form. Second, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Jorge, who study and build the very first version for the project. He was always so kind to give me a hand whenever I got problems. At the same time, I would like to appreciate my partner Niki, who helps me a lot during manufacturing and testing. Additionally, thanks to Hitron Technologies, who sponsors the project and provides technical support. Last my thanks would go to my beloved family for their loving considerations and great confidence in me all through these years. I also owe my sincere gratitude to my friends and my fellow classmates who gave me their help and time in listening to me and helping me work out my problems during the difficult course of the thesis. V This work is supported by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command under Contract No. W81XWH-18-C-0150 awarded to Hitron Technologies Inc. with a subcontract to University of Cincinnati. The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this thesis are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy or decision unless so designated by other documentation. VI Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... II Acknowledgement ..................................................................................................................... V List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... IX List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... XI 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 2. Literature Research ............................................................................................................. 5 2.1. Chassis .......................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.1. Fully Independent Suspension ............................................................................ 5 2.1.2. Wild Thumper..................................................................................................... 7 2.1.3. Turtle Rover ........................................................................................................ 9 2.2. Transmission .............................................................................................................. 10 2.2.1. Gear Transmission ............................................................................................ 10 2.2.2. Belt Transmission ............................................................................................. 11 2.3. Wheels ........................................................................................................................ 11 2.3.1. Continuous Track System ................................................................................. 12 2.3.2. All Terrain Tires ............................................................................................... 13 2.3.3. Mecanum Wheel ............................................................................................... 15 3. Robot Structure Design ..................................................................................................... 17 3.1. Structure Design 1 ...................................................................................................... 18 3.2. Structure Design 2 ...................................................................................................... 19 3.3. Structure Design 3 ...................................................................................................... 19 3.4. Final Structure Design ................................................................................................ 20 3.5. Stationary Mode Components .................................................................................... 21 3.5.1. Components Description .................................................................................. 21 3.5.2. Component Fastening ....................................................................................... 23 3.6. Weight Calculation ..................................................................................................... 24 3.7. Center of Gravity and Tip Over Calculations ............................................................. 25 3.7.1. CoG of Stationary Mode ................................................................................... 25 3.7.2. CoG of Continuous Mode ................................................................................. 26 3.8. Stress Analysis ........................................................................................................... 27 3.8.1. Suspension absorber ......................................................................................... 27 3.8.2. Structure Stress Simulation .............................................................................. 27 4. Driving System Design ..................................................................................................... 29 4.1. Motors and Wheels ..................................................................................................... 29 4.1.1. Requirements Calculation ................................................................................. 29 4.1.2. Motor choice ..................................................................................................... 31 4.1.3. Maximum Robot Capabilities ........................................................................... 32 4.1.4. Wheels 34 4.2. Battery ........................................................................................................................ 36 4.2.1. Power Requirements ......................................................................................... 36 4.2.2. Battery options .................................................................................................. 38 4.3. Electronics .................................................................................................................. 40 VII 4.3.1. Internal Electronics Structure ........................................................................... 40 4.3.2. Diagram – Partial Testing Electronics Layout .................................................. 41 4.3.3. Diagram – Fully Testing Electronics Layout .................................................... 43 4.3.4. External Gears .................................................................................................. 45 5. Driving System