safety sensors

Safety Sensors

(IR and ultrasonic compression)

Concerns about sensors Price Range Coverage time Temperature

sensitivity

Design Vs. Buy OTS Design our own

Advantage low cost Design to spec

Disadvantage - Time- Not appealing

Buy OTS sensors Advantages

less time Easy to manufacture appealing

Disadvantages costly

Additional Accessories

-addition to safety-addition to wow factor

Status lights + Auto lighting

Status lights Auto lighting

Status lights

Individual color LEDs indicate the operational status of the robot

Example of an LED driver (analog.com)

Auto-Lighting By using ambient light transducers, or photoresistor, lighting around the robot

can be turned on/off autonomously

Picture of a photo-resistor and circuit

Light detector with built-in signal processing circuit for light modulation system

Ambient light detector

(microsemi.com)

The Intelligent Algorithm

Speaker: James Harris

Overview

Introduction Initial Thoughts Pathfinding Process Types Optimization Conclusion

Initial Thoughts

Ant Foraging Bacterial Foraging Particle Swarm Optimization Pathfinding Algorithm Binary Tree

Background

Types

Dijkstra’s Algorithm Best First-Search A* Algorithm

Dijkstra’s Algorithm

Dijkstra’s Algorithm

PROS Finds a shortest

path Guaranteed to

work

CONS Simplest case Inefficient in

amount of work

Best First Search

Best First Search PROS Efficient amount of

work Fast

CONS Greedy: uses a

heuristic to guide itself

A* Algorithm

A* Algorithm

Most popular Favors vertices that are close to the

starting point (DA) and the goal (BFS) Faster and more efficient

Optimization Techniques

Different score function Genetic Algorithms Neural Networks Learning

Summary

Introduction Pathfinding Background Pathfinding Process Types Optimization Conclusion

Questions

The Competition

Speaker: James Harris

Overview

Introduction Segway RMP 400 Raymond Model 102XM Seekur PowerBot Conclusion

Segway RMP 400: Specifications

Speed: 6.67 m/s Weight: 109kg Dimensions: 76x112x61 cm Payload: 181kg

Segway RMP 400

Pros All-terrain Looks cool Autonomous Can attach multiple

RPs together Stable Operation Can add sensing

devices

Cons No bumpers Cannot hold

objects

Raymond Model 102XM: Specifications

Payload: 2042kg Incline: 60% grade Speed: 1.7m/s Weight: 272kg

Raymond Model 102XM:

Pros Pavement Powerful Hand Controls Stable Programmable

Cons User-dependent Huge Large turn radius Expensive Little wow factor

Seekur & PowerBot

Competitive Specifications

SeekurTMPowerBotTM RIT RP100

Length 1.4m 85cm N/AWidth 1.3m 63cm N/A

Height (body)1.1m

47cm N/A

Body clearance

180mm; designed to be driven on plowed roads/packed snow.

6.7cm N/A

350kg unladen, (at full battery capacity)

Payload of base platform with included battery 100kg flat 100kg

(other drive ratios available on large orders)

70kg flat60kg 8% grade

100kg @ 33.3% grade

50kg @ 20% grade

65kgWeight (with min. battery capacity) 120kg

FEATURE

 ROBOT BASE

PHYSICAL

Competitive Specifications (cont.)

SeekurTMPowerBotTM RIT RP100

Lightweight aluminum unibody optimized for protection from the weather;

2.3mm CNC fabricated, 

resistant to damage from rain, snow, salted roads etc.;  -4/+122F operating environment (-20C to 50C).  Equipped with 4 tow hooks.  White reflective cover.

aluminum shell

Battery Access

N/A

Slide-out traySlide-out tray

N/A

FEATURE

 ROBOT BASE

CONSTRUCTION

Body

Competitive Specifications (cont.)

SeekurTMPowerBotTM RIT RP100

Battery

24V 200Ah NiCad24V sealed, lead-acid 24V

Charge4800 Watt-hr

2160 watt-hr N/A

Run time, base platform

7 hours

2.5 hrs 1 hr

Recharge time, standard charger

8 hours for full charge, less for opportunity charge

2.5 hrs 1 hr

Recharge time, 1 high-capacity charger

1 hour opportunity charge

NA N/A

Docking station available

Provision for auto-dock and charge station in 2007.

Yes   N/A

FEATURE

 ROBOT BASE

POWER

Competitive Specifications (cont.)

SeekurTMPowerBotTM RIT RP100

Dr. Wheel diam. ~400mm 27cm 15.24cm

Dr. Wheel width ~200mm 9cm 5.08cm4 wheel, 360 degree steering, allowing for 4 wheel

symmetric Ackermann steering or holonomic movement;

Pushing force >160kg 32kgDependent on number of wheels

Turn radius 0 0cm 1m

Translate speed max 2.2m/sec (8km/h) 4.8mph; 7.6 kph; 2.1m/sec 4.5m/s

Traversable step max175mm vertical bump climbing 3cm N/A

Traversable gap max N/A 8cm 3cm

360 degrees; fully independentSteering Differential 

As many as required; fully modular

Wheel composition

Pneumatic rubber tire (tread options)

Pneumatic drive wheels and 19cm casters Industrial-grade rubber

FEATURE

 ROBOT BASE

MOBILITY

Drive

4 wheel drive, 50mm suspension

2-wheel drive, plus 2 rear balancing casters

Competitive Specifications (cont.)

SeekurTMPowerBot

TM RIT RP100

14 included 4

1 each side 

1 each side

12 forward@ 10° intervals14 included N/A1 each side  N/A

12 forward@ 10° intervals N/A

Sonar rangeN/A 15cm -

5m N/A

Surveillance option Yes Yes N/A

Rear sonar ring N/A

FEATURE

 ROBOT BASE

SENSING & MANIPULATION (not requiring

Front sonar ring N/A

Competitive Specifications (cont.)SeekurTM

PowerBotTM RIT RP100

IR Table Sensors No No N/A

Compass option No Yes YES

Arm

Provision for mounting robotic arm(s) Yes YES

Gripper option N/A No

Bumper option

Standard on front, rear, sides, and corners. Included Included

Wireless Ethernet Operation option  Yes Yes N/A

FEATURESENSING & MANIPULATION (not requiring onboard

Competitive Specifications (cont.)

SeekurTMPowerBotTM RIT RP100

Optional onboard computer

Capacity for 5 PCs and Ethernet switch Full-sized PC N/A

Max. no. cards 5 PCI N/A

& ports4 (USB1.1) 2 (USB2.0)2 serial

Speaker Optional Piezo N/ALaser option Yes Yes N/A

Gyro option

IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) Yes N/A

GPS optionGPS/DGPS Optional Yes N/A

Vision/ACTS Color- N/ATracking options YES

Speech/Voice option No Yes N/A

StereoCam Rangefinder option Optional Yes N/A

FEATURE

 ROBOT BASE

ONBOARD COMPUTING, SENSORS & ACCESSORIES

Yes, 3 PC/104+ cards/PC N/A

Yes Yes

Competitive Specifications (cont.)

SeekurTM PowerBotTM RIT RP100

Processor

Freescale MPC565

Hitachi H8S PC104Sonar inputs N/A 32 max 16 max

Custom I/O connections (See below)

8-bit external I/O bus w/ up to 16 devices + PCI I/O boards N/A

Analog/Digital

10 bit analog inputs, digital inputs, digital outputs, PWM outputs and analog outputs, qty and type dependent on expansion board. 5 @ 0-5 VDC N/A

FEATURE ROBOT BASE

ELECTRONICS 

Competitive Specifications (cont.)

SeekurTMPowerBotTM RIT RP100

Communications ports

Ethernet, KVM, USB, Firewire, (with optional computers and boards)

3 RS-232 serial ports on microcontroller, 4 RS-232 and 1 Ethernet on optional embedded computer

RS-232 DB9

Wireless Communications options

802.11b access point, alternate options avail. upon request.

Radio modem pair without embedded computer; Ethernet station adapter & access point with N/A

Flash Memory 1Mb 1 mB 2GB

Power switches Keyswitch 2 main; 2 auxiliary 1

FEATURE

 ROBOT BASE

ELECTRONICS 

Competitive Specifications (cont.)

SeekurTMPowerBotTM RIT RP100

LCD display

W/ backlight w/ multiple menus and selection switches. Indicates charge state and connection status. NA TBD

Reset pushbutton No Warm reboot TBD

Function pushbutton No Self-test TBD

Robot power; 24VDC;  TBD

red LED indicator TBD

FEATURE

 ROBOT BASE

CONTROLS, PORTS AND INDICATORS (side or top panels) 

Main power switch Keyswitch/E-stop

Competitive Specifications (cont.)

SeekurTMPowerBotTM RIT RP100

Radio modem or other  TBD

12VDC / 5VDC option TBD

Aux power switch No 12VDC / 5VDC TBD

Single enable/disable TBDMotors pushbuttons Yes, motor disable

FEATURE

 ROBOT BASE

CONTROLS, PORTS AND INDICATORS (side or top panels) 

Radio power switch No

Competitive Specifications (cont.)

SeekurTMPowerBotTM RIT RP100

9-pin RS232 with Rcv and TBDXmt LED indicators TBD

Joy drive port Yes, via CANbus Onboard & off TBD

Charging

CAN controlled offboard 24V charger. 24VDC charge

port & Docking   TBD

FEATURECONTROLS, PORTS AND INDICATORS (side or top panels) 

Serial comm portsARIA PC, Customer PC

Review

Segway RMP 400 Raymond Model 102XM Seekur PowerBot

Questions