Project Micromouse: Minitaur

Team Excelsior

MEET THE TEAM!

Emilia Holbik

Janel RaabDevin Helmgren

Devon GriggsFall 2013 Team Lead

Electrical Engineer

Electrical EngineerComputer Science

Computer Science

Primary Adviser: Wayne Lu, PhD

Secondary Adviser: Tammy VanDeGrift, PhD

Client: Wayne Lu, PhD and University of Portland IEEE Chapter

Industrial Adviser: Leon Clark, Urban Robotics

IEEE APEC Conference: Micromouse Competition

Fort Worth, TX ~ March 17, 2014National and International Competition: autonomous and self-reliant robotic

PURPOSE: Create a qualifying Micromouse robot for the Region 6 Micromouse Competition

To provide the foundation for future optimization

The Competition!•The maze is 16x16 multiples of an 18cm x 18 cm

unit square

• The mircomouse must fit in a 25cm x 25cm square region

•The micromouse has a time limit of 7 minutes on the maze, in which it may make up to 7 runs

•If the micromouse is “touched” points will be lost

• The micromouse can make it way back to the start of the maze autonomously

• In between runs the micromouse must wait a minimum of 1s.

• The square the micromouse starts at will always have 3 walls

• The micromouse shall not be fed the maze information

Block Diagram of Minitaur

Motor System Block Diagram

Optical Sensors Block Diagram

Parts Ordered!!Microcontroller: PIC18F452

Motor Driver: TA8080KIR Sensors: Sharp GP2D120 (Short – 3)

Sharp GP2Y0A02YK(Long – 1)Motor: 100:1 Micro Metal Gearmotor

Encoder: Optical EncoderWheels: Solarbotics RW2i Wheel

Maze: small plywood test maze

The Biggest Concerns So Far…

Problem: Incompatible PartsSolution: Minitaur will be constructed so that it can use various types of parts as needed. Also a prototype will be constructed

first, to ensure the parts are compatible

Problem: Software does not fit in limited capacity of the deviceSolution: Use a bigger memory capacity microcontroller or a

different microcontroller

Problem: Improper tracking and sensor readingSolution: Intensive testing, small scale and large scale to

ensure that the sensors are working correctly

Milestones to Fall Semester

Final Budget Request from Shiley School (10/1/13)Functional Specification Final v1.0 (10/4/13)

Minitaur turns on (10/20/13)Autonomous Algorithm Decided (10/27/13)

Minitaur can sense a wall (10/30/13)Minitaur drives straight (11/3/13)

Maze Traversal Algorithm Implemented (11/10/13)Design Document Final v1.0 (11/15/13)Minitaur turns left and right (11/17/13)

Maze information can be stored (11/24/13)Maze Traversal optimized (12/8/13)

Send PCB Layout to be Fabricated (12/8/13)

Milestones to Fall Semester

Minitaur Traverses Back to Start (1/19/14)Minitaur Traverses Fastest Route (1/26/14)

First Full System Test, Debrief, Bug Fixing (2/2/14)Full System Test 2, Debrief, Bug Fixing (2/16/14)Full System Test 3, Debrief, Bug Fixing (3/2/14)Full System Test 4, Debrief, Bug Fixing (3/9/14)APEC IEEE Micromouse Competition (3/17/14)

Final Report v1.0 (4/4/14)Founder’s Day Presentation (4/8/14)

Conclusion

QUESTIONS??

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