Week

 Date

Topic

Points

Comments

Report 1 due during week 2

Design project Assignment #1  (submit to lab instructor):

Read the project assignment on the course web page. Prepare a one-page report in which you define a set of

Design specifications for the Sumo robot.

Design Scenario: Envision the robot as a toy for technically motivated children or teens. Try to think of all the requirements that a successful product must satisfy.

You should seek to answer two basic questions:

1. What technical capabilities must the robot have?

2. What features would you expect as a customer? (e.g. cost durability, speed ...)

Your textbook (chapter 2.2 and 2.3) contains information on the requirements for creating the design specifications, or the requirements the design must meet.  You can learn a lot from looking at engineering design projects done by others. The web site

http://poisson.me.dal.ca/~DP_MECH/

contains several detailed reports on mechanical engineering design projects at Dalhousie University.

2

9/01

Identify need: Describe problem and possible approach to the design of mobile robot steering, blade, and chassis.

Report 2 due during week  3

Read Ch. 2, especially 2.2 and 2.3

search the web for "autonomous vehicle" ideas

1. Each student submits: one-page outline of his/her conceptual Sumo robot design and concept sketches.

2.  Introduction to Compute Aided Design (CAD).

A free 3-dimensional CAD program is available for download at http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~pyo22/engr102WebPage2006-2007.html

Install the software in a directory of your choice, e.g. c:\LDRAW

An introductory Ldraw-tutorial can be downloaded from http://www.hpfsc.de/mlcd_tut/tut_eng.html

Download the NXT parts file and install the unzipped parts, see instructions.

Here are your Lab #2 CAD assignment and instructions.

Submit your CAD drawing with report #2. You will use CAD tools starting in week 4. Be prepared!

Lego Design and Programming 1

Begin Literature Search

Report 3 due during week 4

(10)

Build and Control  a vehicle with one motor and one light sensor for vehicle propulsion. No steering is required yet. Write a program that lets the vehicle move at a constant speed indefinitely. The vehicle must stop when it encounters a white line. 

Each Team : Demonstrate  working vehicle and Program

 Introduction to CAD.

Design a complete NXT robot using Legocad. Include sensors and cables. Robot should have wheels and sensors. Add a protective shield, wedge in front,  and a motorized grappling hook as you like. Here are a few sample designs of various NXT vehicles to get you started. Click on the thumbnails  for the larger images.

Some recent robot Design Examples from the ME 100 class  using Lego NXT. The first picture at left below was done in MLCad.

Submit your individual Legocad design with report #3.

4

Lego Design and Programming 2

Technical drawings I

(10)

Design a reduction gear mechanism that reduces vehicle speed, and increases robot propulsion force. Your design should seek to give your robot the lowest possible center of gravity, the largest possible contact force between vehicle and table, and a matching, but not excessive propulsion force.

Design a lifting mechanism (optional) that detects and lifts the opponent   (touch or light sensors can detect contact. Make the optimal choice for your design and explain your reasoning.)  Also: you should seek to detect the position of the opponent relative to your own robot so that you can apply the blade to maximum effect ).

You can use one or two motors for propulsion as you wish. Write a program that lets the vehicle change direction upon receiving a collision sensor signal. Implement one of the  examples below, or design your own controls:

(a) using a light sensor: have the vehicle find your opponent (represented by a wooden block), and push the obstacle outside the ring.

(b) using a touch sensor: upon impact, have the vehicle stop, move backwards, and turn 90 degrees.

Robot propulsion system design. Use of Solid modeling software is preferred (LegoCAD or Autocad or ProEngineer or similar). Develop three alternative propulsion system designs. Vehicle must be compact and tightly integrated.  Any dangling parts can easily entrap the vehicle, or fall off. Also, you must avoid entanglements with the opponent team's robot. One report per team due week 5.

Lego Design and Programming 3

Technical drawings II

(10)

Build and Control  a steerable vehicle with optional front blade and sensor(s) to prevent leaving the platform.

Write and demonstrate a program that detects the presence of the opponent (represented by a wooden block) inside the ring and and pushes the opponent away. You may use the ultrasound range sensor to locate your opponent.

6

Lego Design and Programming 4

Technical drawings III.  Submit: Autocad or  Legocad (your choice) drawing of overall design, list of design criteria.

Design refinements: Control and build a steerable vehicle with optional front blade, motors and collision sensors.

Each team : Demonstrate  working vehicle and Program

Establish Design criteria: Ch. 2.5-2.6: e.g. Safety 40%, Durability 20%, Cost 20%

7

Lego Design and Programming 5

Present completed vehicle. Demonstrate all functions: sensors and motors. Design criteria.

(20)

Definition of the best overall robot design according to formal criteria ( e.g. compactness, light weight, robustness in collisions).

8 through 12

Programming and Testing

 I  through V

(10)

each week

Develop the software that allows the robot to navigate on the platform and disables the opponent (by either toppling or pushing off the platform) in the shortest possible time.

Advice: Programming is time consuming and can be frustrating. You have five weeks for this assignment, and you should make every attempt to spend as much time on programming as you can. Lab opening times are posted below. You can also work on your programs in the public labs, B-367 and A-311.

Programming of Light Sensors: Beware that the lighting in the Great Hall at competition time will differ from the lighting in the lab. Follow the posted advice for programming the light sensor to adjust to ambient lighting conditions.

13

Programming and Testing IV

End Literature Search

(10)

Present and demonstrate progress to the lab TA.

Update Bibliography. Add new sources found after first Literature search.

 Bibliography must include WWW component including patent search!

All  teams: All Final Project reports  are due Wednesday 11/26 before class, one report per team.

15

Robot Competition: Final Report and Presentation of completed Robot.

No Class on Monday

First prize goes to the last robot that  stays on the platform without being toppled.

(120)

All teams meet at the assigned time and date in the Great Hall to demonstrate their robots. Each team submits its Final Report

All  teams: All Final Project reports  are due Wednesday 11/26 before class, one report per team

. The final report should document the entire design, literature search, and programming effort. The final report is a major part of the design portion of the grade (120 points).

Powerpoint presentation in class, see syllabus for schedule, 10 minutes per team. Each team submits detailed complete report and log book, documenting semester activities for each team member.

Team Leader: submits complete report and log book.

Twelve progress reports (one per team except first through third reports) are due at each formal lab meeting before the lab session as posted in the UNLV class schedule. A penalty of 20% of the maximum grade is applied for each day of late submission. Reports more than 5 days late will be given zero credit. Each team must meet weekly. The team leader keeps a weekly log of member's contributions and attendance. The log will be part of the final report, and will be graded. Be sure to work ahead and to allow for sufficient time for discussion before submitting your team report. Please take advantage of the Mathcad software. You will enjoy the class a lot more by learning and using the engineering software tools like Mathcad

References on Design                 

Middendorf       Engineering Design

Kemper             The Engineer and his Profession

Morris               Engineering: A Decision Making Process

Lab Grading:     Lab Grade will be based on progress reports.  

      Note: Your design project also constitutes 35% of your class grade. The design portion of your grade will be based on your team's final presentation and the final written report.

A = 90%+; B = 80%+; C = 70%+; D = 60%+; F below 60%

Opening times for Room FDH 141

Undergraduate Robotics Lab

Open Lab Sessions: If you require additional time, you can work on your project during any of the Open Lab sessions listed below. Please contact the teaching assistant for the section of your choice at least 12 hours before you plan to visit the lab. Contact information is provided below.