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Summary Report
Project: Development of LTU Laptop Robot Framework
Chan-Jin Chung
Contents
**1. Background
- Jobs done as summer mini-grant project in Summer 2002
- Hardware Block Diagram
- Software Block Diagram
- How the robots were used in classes in Fall 2002
- How the robots will be used in future classes
- Self-evaluation
- Background**
As a directed study in Spring 2002, I suggested and designed basic strategic ideas of LTU laptop robots. After a long search and email/phone inquiries, basic hardware components such as motors, batteries, motor controllers, and robot body were purchased. Carson Reinke and Andrey Shvartsman figured out all the details of hardware and software configurations and developed laptop robot applications. They entered Robofest exhibition division in April 2002. There have been many cases of discontinuing great student’s projects, if professors do not take care of them after the completion of the projects and/or their graduation. In order to continue to keep what they have achieved and use them for future classes I needed to the following research and development activities as summer mini-grant project as described in the next section, “2. Jobs done as summer mini-grant project in Summer 2002”.
Figure 1. LTU Laptop robot No. 1 hardware built by Carson Reinke
Figure 2. LTU LaptopRobot No. 2 hardware purchased by a company and modified and used by Andrey Shvartsman
2. Jobs done as summer mini-grant project in Summer 2002
- Collected all the hardware and software information related to the robotics projects. Provided web account for Carson and Andrey to post all the info related to the robotics project and verified them. They are: http://mcs.ltu.edu/~andrey/laptop.html http://mcs.ltu.edu/~creinke/robot/ Also hardcopies of the information can be found in my office. They were later on used to prepare handouts for a class, MCS 5503 Intelligent Systems, in Fall 2002
- Tested kernel mode DLL driver for Windows NT/2000/XP that gives programs access to parallel ports for controlling motors
- Tested Logitech QuickCam SDK 1.
- Tested Microsoft’s Speech SDK and introduced TTS(Text To Speech) functions
- I read their source codes and refined the code for example, comments in the code and removing redundant parts.
- Improved the code by adjusting time values and parameters to act more reliably.
- Modified XML file for new speech commands and TTS.
- Designed basic hardware and software block diagrams as you can see in the later sections 3 and 4 in this report.
- Developed, implemented and tested new functions such as asking the robot to dance, TTS functions, and stopping after locating the target object. These functions were demonstrated during the CAS meeting in August.
- Researched on compiler environment: as a result, I made a conclusion to use MS Visual C++ 6, introductory edition due to MS Speech SDK requirements (Borland’s C++ build did not work with Microsoft SDK). After acquiring enough introductory editions (CDs), MS Visual C++ was installed into the laptops in the Robotics lab.
- Research on robot body frame: First I analyzed problems of existing robots. The problems of Carson’s robot were (1) too heavy (2) not easily adaptable since it is made of steel, and (3)
Figure 4. LTU laptop robot No. 4 started to be built since Summer 2002. Completed in 2003.
3. Hardware Block Diagram
Infrared Distance Sensor (*)
12 V
Battery Light Sensor
Serial port
Data Acquisition Board
Microphone
Left DC Motor Right DC Motor
Parallel port
Motor Controller Board
CCD USB
Camera Laptop (Windows 2000)
4. Software Block Diagram
Common Image processing functions
Logitec QuickCam SDK
Input32.DLL for parallel MS Speech SDK port signal out for motors
Windows 2000
Laptop Robot Application Software Dance
Laptop Robot Application Software Ball finding …
5. How the robots were used in classes in Fall 2002
In MCS 5503 Intelligent Systems class, five students were given Laptop robot documentations organized in summer to start with. Their task was to develop software to drive the robot to follow a line in a dynamic environment. As a class project, they demonstrated three robots in the gym when we had OCCRA robot tournament in December 2002. Many audiences including our President Dr. Chambers watched the demo. Every robot was completing the mission to follow a line when the line contained a lot of noise due to the light and surface condition in the gym. See Figure 5 and 6.
6. How the robots will be used in future classes
Currently in Spring 2003 in Advanced Topics In Intelligent Systems class, the robots are being used for two purposes: (1) Robofest LaptopBot race and (2) IGVC (International Ground Vehicle Competition) in May 2003. However, the robots are under big modifications, since IGVC requires carrying 25lb payloads. Planned to be used for High school teams for Robofest from
7. Self-evaluation
The objective in the mini-grant proposal was
To develop standard hardware and software framework with professional manuals for constructing autonomous Laptop robots. The user is ready to program the robot by simply plugging in LTU laptops to the standard framework.
All has been achieved except the professional manuals. The reason I discontinued the development of the professional manual for the robot No. 3 as follows:
- The choice of C++ programming language as the default language was questionable. In that case I had to be dependent on Microsoft technologies such as speech and compilers.
- Since I had decided to use Java instead of C++ in the late August in 2002, there was no reason to continue developing the professional manual based on C++ for the robot developers.
- The professional manual was planned for the product for sale, for example, to future High school teams to Robofest. There was no problem for LTU students to do the work with just design documents and source code instead of professional manuals.
- Hardware changes occurred in summer due to the IGVC involvement. Since IGVC robot requires strong motors, the change of motors was obvious and there was no reason to continue the documentation of the No. 3 robot.
Anyway, currently I am working on Java version manuals for the standard Laptop robots. New motors and motor control boards have not been decided yet.
