Roboticized Züca

Every robot has to have brawn. I selected the Züca rolling backpack as a skeleton for a follow-bot. The Züca can support a large amount of weight and torque, and provides an easy way to manually transport the robot. You can tip it over onto the existing wheels and haul it off with the handle, in case you need to make a hasty exit. Every robot has to have brains. The Züca has to be able to sense its environment in order to make the best decisions about how to get from current location to the cricket beacon, which is the signal that the Roboticized Züca follows. The cricket chirps in RF and in ultrasonic frequencies simultaneously. The Züca measures the difference between the time it takes to receive the RF signal and the ultrasonic signal to determine range to beacon. The bearing to the beacon is determined by a phased array antenna. 

There are two major tasks here. Controlling the motors, and sensor fusion and decision theory processing algorithms. Motor control has been implemented with an Arduino. Decision theory has been outlined and some code written. Cliff sensors and overlapping ultrasonic transducers provide obstacle detection. RF receiver provides the differential signal from the cricket beacon. Ultrasonic sensors have been prototyped. Cliff sensors have not. 

The cricket beacon would be constructed using an Arduino. 

A board powerful enough to handle input from multiple sensors, make decisions, and operate the motors based on those decisions was required.I believe the Freedom Board is that board!

What will you build with your new Kinetis board?

Roboticized Züca Brains

How will you use FlexIO in your project?

Primarily for the sensor fusion and decision theory processing algorithms. If possible, also for motor control.

Submitted on Mar 21, 2016 at 8:01 PM.