Project :: ECE 445 - Senior Design Laboratory

#	Title	Team Members	TA	Documents	Sponsor
2	Antweight Battlebot	Gauthami Yenne Jingyu Kang Nandika Vuyyuri	Haocheng Bill Yang	design_document1.pdf final_paper1.pdf grading_sheet1.pdf photo1.jpg photo2.jpg presentation1.pdf proposal1.pdf proposal2.pdf video
	# Antweight Battlebot Nandika Vuyyuri (vuyyuri2) \ Gauthami Yenne (gyenne2) \ Jingyu Kang (jingyuk2) # Problem The goal of this project is to create an antweight battlebot that would weigh less than 2 lbs in order to participate in the Antweight Battlebot Competition. The criteria given are that all robots must have clearly visible and controlled mobility; must be controlled via either Bluetooth or WIFI using a microcontroller with an manual operation for disconnection; and rotational blade which would contact the arena 5 inches above the ground level and could come to a complete stop within 60 seconds. # Solution The battlebot will be mounted with a tombstone attacking mechanism in order to disable the opponent’s vehicle. # Solution Components ## Power System: We need a max of 16V considering the motor we are using for moving our robot around so we plan to use Thunder Power 325 mAh 3s battery (THP 325-3SR70J) which is 35g and is the lightest battery we could find that met our requirements. Other battery options weighted about 65g to 105g which would be too heavy to meet the criteria since the weight limit for the entire battlebot should be about 900g. \ Another option is to use flat lithium batteries since the weight of the batteries are significantly lighter than the regular batteries. However, the problem of this would be that the power would not be sufficient enough for the battlebot to move and perform the tasks required as most of the lithium batteries cannot produce significant power at a single instant but rather is a long lasting battery. ## MCU: The ESP32-C3 (ESP32-C3-DevKitM-1), which is known for its low power consumption, will be used for connection between the battlebot and the controller utilizing its built-in Wifi and Bluetooth system. We will use Arduino IDE in order to program the ESP32-C3 to control the robot. We will use this to control the robot’s mobility and attacking mechanism. \n We have access to debugging and flashing tools that are compatible with the ESP32-C3 MCU. ## Attacking mechanism: We plan to use the Emax RS2205 2600KV motor which is 30g. This motor has a fast RPM and is often used for drones actually which we are hoping will be a powerful attacking mechanism. ## Robot mobility To maneuver the battlebot we will use a dual H-bridge configuration using the DRV8833 motor driver paired with high-torque Pololu Micro Metal Gear Motors and integrate the parts with the ESP32-C3-DevKitM-1. ## Materials We plan to use a mixture of lightweight PET-G, ABS, and PLA+ materials. The primary reason for this choice is since they are more durable and flexible as well as heat-resistant which would be ideal for the nature of battlebots. Furthermore, considering majority of the parts would be created through 3D-printing, we assume that ABS or PEEK filament, which is primarily used for 3D-printers, would be ideal. # Criterion For Success Our High-level goal is to maneuver the robot away from the opponent with precision and control. Another goal is to have a horizontal spinning attacking mechanism which is ‘powerful’ enough to knock out robots of other shapes should not just ‘flick’ the other robot but actually make a significant impact to disable the opponent’s robot.

Featured Project

# Oxygen Delivery Robot

Team Members:

- Rutvik Sayankar (rutviks2)

- Aidan Dunican (dunican2)

- Nazar Kalyniouk (nazark2)

# Problem

Children's interstitial and diffuse lung disease (ChILD) is a collection of diseases or disorders. These diseases cause a thickening of the interstitium (the tissue that extends throughout the lungs) due to scarring, inflammation, or fluid buildup. This eventually affects a patient’s ability to breathe and distribute enough oxygen to the blood.

Numerous children experience the impact of this situation, requiring supplemental oxygen for their daily activities. It hampers the mobility and freedom of young infants, diminishing their growth and confidence. Moreover, parents face an increased burden, not only caring for their child but also having to be directly involved in managing the oxygen tank as their child moves around.

# Solution

Given the absence of relevant solutions in the current market, our project aims to ease the challenges faced by parents and provide the freedom for young children to explore their surroundings. As a proof of concept for an affordable solution, we propose a three-wheeled omnidirectional mobile robot capable of supporting filled oxygen tanks in the size range of M-2 to M-9, weighing 1 - 6kg (2.2 - 13.2 lbs) respectively (when full). Due to time constraints in the class and the objective to demonstrate the feasibility of a low-cost device, we plan to construct a robot at a ~50% scale of the proposed solution. Consequently, our robot will handle simulated weights/tanks with weights ranging from 0.5 - 3 kg (1.1 - 6.6 lbs).

The robot will have a three-wheeled omni-wheel drive train, incorporating two localization subsystems to ensure redundancy and enhance child safety. The first subsystem focuses on the drivetrain and chassis of the robot, while the second subsystem utilizes ultra-wideband (UWB) transceivers for triangulating the child's location relative to the robot in indoor environments. As for the final subsystem, we intend to use a camera connected to a Raspberry Pi and leverage OpenCV to improve directional accuracy in tracking the child.

As part of the design, we intend to create a PCB in the form of a Raspberry Pi hat, facilitating convenient access to information generated by our computer vision system. The PCB will incorporate essential components for motor control, with an STM microcontroller serving as the project's central processing unit. This microcontroller will manage the drivetrain, analyze UWB localization data, and execute corresponding actions based on the information obtained.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1: Drivetrain and Chassis

This subsystem encompasses the drive train for the 3 omni-wheel robot, featuring the use of 3 H-Bridges (L298N - each IC has two H-bridges therefore we plan to incorporate all the hardware such that we may switch to a 4 omni-wheel based drive train if need be) and 3 AndyMark 245 RPM 12V Gearmotors equipped with 2 Channel Encoders. The microcontroller will control the H-bridges. The 3 omni-wheel drive system facilitates zero-degree turning, simplifying the robot's design and reducing costs by minimizing the number of wheels. An omni-wheel is characterized by outer rollers that spin freely about axes in the plane of the wheel, enabling sideways sliding while the wheel propels forward or backward without slip. Alongside the drivetrain, the chassis will incorporate 3 HC-SR04 Ultrasonic sensors (or three bumper-style limit switches - like a Roomba), providing a redundant system to detect potential obstacles in the robot's path.

## Subsystem 2: UWB Localization

This subsystem suggests implementing a module based on the DW1000 Ultra-Wideband (UWB) transceiver IC, similar to the technology found in Apple AirTags. We opt for UWB over Bluetooth due to its significantly superior accuracy, attributed to UWB's precise distance-based approach using time-of-flight (ToF) rather than meer signal strength as in Bluetooth.

This project will require three transceiver ICs, with two acting as "anchors" fixed on the robot. The distance to the third transceiver (referred to as the "tag") will always be calculated relative to the anchors. With the transceivers we are currently considering, at full transmit power, they have to be at least 18" apart to report the range. At minimum power, they work when they are at least 10 inches. For the "tag," we plan to create a compact PCB containing the transceiver, a small coin battery, and other essential components to ensure proper transceiver operation. This device can be attached to a child's shirt using Velcro.

## Subsystem 3: Computer Vision

This subsystem involves using the OpenCV library on a Raspberry Pi equipped with a camera. By employing pre-trained models, we aim to enhance the reliability and directional accuracy of tracking a young child. The plan is to perform all camera-related processing on the Raspberry Pi and subsequently translate the information into a directional command for the robot if necessary. Given that most common STM chips feature I2C buses, we plan to communicate between the Raspberry Pi and our microcontroller through this bus.

## Division of Work:

Given that we already have a 3 omni wheel robot, it is a little bit smaller than our 50% scale but it allows us to immediately begin work on UWB localization and computer vision until a new iteration can be made. Simultaneously, we'll reconfigure the drive train to ensure compatibility with the additional systems we plan to implement, and the ability to move the desired weight. To streamline the process, we'll allocate specific tasks to individual group members – one focusing on UWB, another on Computer Vision, and the third on the drivetrain. This division of work will allow parallel progress on the different aspects of the project.

# Criterion For Success

Omni-wheel drivetrain that can drive in a specified direction.

Close-range object detection system working (can detect objects inside the path of travel).

UWB Localization down to an accuracy of < 1m.

## Current considerations

We are currently in discussion with Greg at the machine shop about switching to a four-wheeled omni-wheel drivetrain due to the increased weight capacity and integrity of the chassis. To address the safety concerns of this particular project, we are planning to implement the following safety measures:

- Limit robot max speed to <5 MPH

- Using Empty Tanks/ simulated weights. At NO point ever will we be working with compressed oxygen. Our goal is just to prove that we can build a robot that can follow a small human.

- We are planning to work extensively to design the base of the robot to be bottom-heavy & wide to prevent the tipping hazard.