The second performance test required the AEV to complete the following requirements:
- Begin at starting dock
- Proceed to the gate
- Stop with front wheel between first and second gate sensors
- Pause for 7 seconds
- Proceed through gate
- Proceed to the loading zone at the opposite end of the track
- Connect to the caboose without the vehicle’s front wheel passing the initial position of the caboose’s front wheel
- Pause for 5 seconds
- Exit the loading zone
In order to complete these requirements, additional lines of code were simply added to the pre-existing program used to complete performance test 1.
The team’s goal in completng performance test 2 was to get the AEV to travel to the bottom of the loading zone at an extremely low speed, such that it would not make light contact with the caboose. This was done by shutting the motors off shortly before the vehicle reached the downward incline that would bring it towards the loading zone. The friction of the wheels and air resistance both worked to slow the vehicle down as it traveled down the slope. Thus, when the initial program was run, the AEV connected with the caboose, but pushed it back approximately an inch when doing so. This program was therefore modified so that the motors would run at slightly lower power percentages and for a slightly shorter amount of time, and as a result the AEV coasted into the loading zone with less force. This allowed it to connect to the caboose without knocking it back to any significant extent.
The entire program used to complete this performance test can be seen towards the bottom of the Arduino Programs page.