For the Spring 2017 Robot Design Project for Fundamentals of Engineering Honors, design teams were enlisted to design a working autonomous robot to navigate a course and perform five separate tasks.
A scientific research collaborative has recently been studying the effects of climate change on the ecosystem of an uninhabited volcanic island. The scientists have collected samples of rocks from within the volcano to learn about the atmosphere, obtained samples of lava that flow down Mount FEHsuvius to study the lava’s composition, and have measured seismic waves during earthquakes and eruptions to learn about the composition of rock below the volcano. However, an eruption is probable and in this case, the scientists are to evacuate the island and an unmanned vehicle must make preparations for the scientists’ return by performing multiple tasks. The goal of the project was to create a prototype of this unmanned vehicle to navigate a scaled model of the research facility at the volcanic island and complete several tasks. These tasks include: retrieving the rock cores from the volcano at A1 and placing them in the proper bin at A2 to be taken from the island to be processed, flipping a lever at B in order to collect a sample of lava to be studied, pressing a button at C to read seismic activity and transfer the information to the research station’s computers, rotating the dish at D ninety degrees counterclockwise, and pressing the button at E to finish the run and enter the bunker.
The function of this website is to inform about Team G6’s design process and progress. Team G6 consisted of four members Ankit Deogharia, Jackson Jennings, Derek Schraitle, and Mary Grace Sylvester. The following pages detail the management and documentation aspect of the project, the build of the physical robot and its mechanical details, the code, and its performance.
(For a quick overview of the entire project, check out the slides that guided the group’s oral presentation, here. You can also find the Final Report, a written analysis and overview of the entire project, here. )