Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
39 The Illini Wagon
Ian Watson
Neha Joseph
Ramya Reddy
John Li design_document1.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
grading_sheet1.pdf
proposal1.pdf
proposal2.pdf
video
Self Driving Wagon

Team Members:
- Neha Joseph (nehaej2)
- Ian Watson (ianjw2)
- Ramya Reddy (ramyar3)

# Problem
College students and urban dwellers often face the challenge of carrying heavy loads while walking across campuses or within walkable cities. Whether heading to a tailgate, a picnic, grocery shopping, or hosting an outdoor event, transporting multiple items can be inconvenient and physically demanding. While existing solutions like rolling carts and backpacks provide some relief, they still require manual effort and become impractical over long distances.

With the rise of walkable cities and car-free urban spaces, there is a growing need for a hands-free, autonomous way to carry personal belongings over short distances without relying on traditional vehicles.

# Solution

We propose a self-driving smart wagon that autonomously follows the user using GPS tracking while carrying their items.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1 – Robot Controls System
The Robot Controls System utilizes an ESP32 microcontroller to receive Bluetooth data, enabling seamless communication with the user. It integrates the Adafruit Ultimate GPS Breakout Board for precise navigation to provide GPS coordinates. Additionally, the MCU interfaces with the motor system to control the vehicle’s motion, ensuring smooth and responsive movement.

Components:

1 x ESP32 Microcontroller

2 x Adafruit Ultimate GPS Breakout Board



## Subsystem 2 – Motor Control
We will equip the wagon with two 12V DC motors (3420) for propulsion and a servo motor (Tower Pro MG996) for steering, powered by a 12V battery (ML7-12 SLA). The steering system and electronic speed controller (ESC) will be integrated into a custom PCB, with velocity controlled via pulse width modulation (PWM). The wagon's speed, and equally voltage supplied to the DC motors, will dynamically adjust based on its distance from the user. Designed to handle loads of up to 30 lbs with ease, we may explore smaller, more cost-effective components to enhance efficiency while staying within budget.

Components:

2x 3420 DC motors for propulsion

1x Tower Pro MG996 Servo motor for steering

1x ML7-12 SLA Battery


## Subsystem 3 – Human Tracking System

This subsystem will include a Bluetooth module and a secondary GPS module. The user will carry this system in their pocket. The GPS module will output coordinate data to the Bluetooth module, which will then transmit this data to the MCU. The MCU will also receive location data from the on-unit GPS module (described in a previous subsystem). These two data streams will enable the MCU to calculate distance and directional information, which will be sent to the motor control subsystem.

Components:

Bluetooth Module (HC-05/HC-06 or RN-41) – transmit coordinate data to MCU

The Adafruit Ultimate GPS Breakout Board – send location data to bluetooth module

# Criterion For Success

Describe high-level goals that your project needs to achieve to be effective. These goals need to be clearly testable and not subjective.

Robot can follow a human in an open, outdoor space with no obstacles.
Robot is able to follow human around a bend/corner.
Robot is able to carry a load between 10-15 lbs.
Robot is able to maintain a set level of distance between itself and the human.
Robot can be turned on/off.
Robot is able to navigate around a singular obstacle placed in its path.

A successful project will complete 4 out of 6 of these goals, with the sixth goal being a reach goal. To demonstrate and test the robot, we will run the robot in the main quad with weighted items.

Automatic Piano Tuner

Joseph Babbo, Colin Wallace, Riley Woodson

Automatic Piano Tuner

Featured Project

# Automatic Piano Tuner

Team Members:

- Colin Wallace (colinpw2)

- Riley Woodson (rileycw2)

- Joseph Babbo (jbabbo2)

# Problem

Piano tuning is a time-consuming and expensive process. An average piano tuning will cost in the $100 - $200 range and a piano will have to be retuned multiple times to maintain the correct pitch. Due to the strength required to alter the piano pegs it is also something that is difficult for the less physically able to accomplish.

# Solution

We hope to bring piano tuning to the masses by creating an easy to use product which will be able to automatically tune a piano by giving the key as input alongside playing the key to get the pitch differential and automatically turning the piano pegs until they reach the correct note.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1 - Motor Assembly

A standard tuning pin requires 8-14 nm of torque to successfully tune. We will thus need to create a motor assembly that is able to produce enough torque to rotate standard tuning pins.

## Subsystem 2 - Frequency Detector/Tuner

The device will use a microphone to gather audio measurements. Then a microprocessor processes the audio data to detect the pitch and determine the difference from the desired frequency. This can then generate instructions for the motor; direction to turn pegs and amount to turn it by.

## Subsystem 3 - User Interface/Display Panel

A small but intuitive display and button configuration can be used for this device. It will be required for the user to set the key being played using buttons on the device and reading the output of the display. As the device will tune by itself after hearing the tone, all that is required to display is the current key and octave. A couple of buttons will suffice to be able to cycle up and down keys and octaves.

## Subsystem 4 - Replaceable Battery/Power Supply

Every commercial product should use standard replaceable batteries, or provide a way for easy charging. As we want to develop a handheld device, so that the device doesn’t have to drag power wires into the piano, we will need a rechargeable battery pack.

# Criterion For Success

The aim of the Automatic Piano Tuner is to allow the user to automatically tune piano strings based on a key input alongside playing a note. We have several goals to help us meet this aim:

- Measure pitch accurately, test against known good pitches

- Motor generates enough torque to turn the pegs on a piano

- Tuner turns correctly depending on pitch

- Easy tuning of a piano by a single untrained person

Project Videos