In Week 3, students continued to work on the Preliminary R&D labs. Tasks for the lab included constructing the sample AEV and running reflectance sensor tests.
Students began by constructing the sample AEV by following a 3D graphic. Once all parts were screwed in and assembled, as well as soldering the arduino board wire, the reflectance sensors were aligned with the back wheel using zip ties. The following code was then run to motor.
Scenario Two Code
//Run all motors at a constant speed of 25% power for 2 seconds.
motorSpeed(4,25);
goFor(2);
//Run all motors at a constant speed of 20% and using the goToAbsolutePosition
//functiontravel a total distance of 12 feet (from the starting point). You will actually
//rotate the wheel by hand (since you are on the desktop tracks) until the wheel has
//completed the required distance and the motors stop.
motorSpeed(4,20);
goToAbsolutePosition(295.38);
//Reverse motors.
reverse(4);
//Run all motors at a constant speed and 30% power for 1.5 seconds.
motorSpeed(4,30);
goFor(1.5);
//Brake all motors.
brake(4);
The code ran successfully and all brakes were smooth. The little interference was seen in the motion of the propellers. Furthermore, the code ran for it’s proper duration of time and did not extend brakes or the duration of the motors.
The code was then ran a second time to test the reflectance sensors. The arduino board rested on top of the AEV, and the battery pack was inserted underneath.
The reflectance sensor determines the distance the AEV has traveled, in Marks, using the pieces of reflective tape on the wheel opposite it. Knowing how far the vehicle has traveled allows the group to know where it is, which is crucial to attaching to the magnetic cart and stopping in time for the gate sensors. This is also why the testing and securing of the sensors is crucial to ensure proper function of the vehicle.
Following an update to the code and uploading it properly to the arduino, the reflectance sensor test ran successfully with no errors.