Project

General

Profile

What happened this week:
  • Software:
    • solver simulator
    • firefly version:
      • bug fixes
      • still more errors
  • Mechanical
    • Cubbies planned
    • Drawing up on web soon
  • Electrical
    • BOM still gives weird error
      • Different robots
      • Old robots/old bases
      • Different computers
      • More work needed
    • Gave up on finding range from IR intensity
      • Sharp IR range finders instead
    • AVR - no progress... yet
      • Need Steve/Brian
What have we done this semester?
  • Software:
    • Ported code (pyro, BOM code, solver - not finished )
    • Created basic behaviors (rotate, robot seeker).
    • Experience with WinAVR and programming AVR/firefly
    • Began experimenting with PID loops
  • Mechanical:
    • Transferred hardware on ~6 robots
    • Experimented with blinders
    • Designed and began construnction of cubby robot storage system
    • Brainstormed gerbil robot
  • Electrical:
    • Researched IR ranging feasability
      • Concluded IR intensity is not practical for range data
      • Discussed alternatives for IR range finding
        • Experimented with different photo-diodes / photo-transistors
          • We bought things
        • Communications experiments
          • Passing square wave with IR
      • AVR
        • somehow got botrics to do it for us (win!)
          • Ordered first prototype, building + testing in progress
      • BOM - LED placement (see .xls file)
  • ColonyIII
    • Set up common code folder
    • Implemented commenting standards
    • wiki - used it, page naming scheme
    • Came up with list of things we did
      • Iain is quite the joker
      • Started Iain's joke of the week.
    • Motivated people to try new things
Goals for next semester
  • Range
  • Solver
  • Test BOM blinders
  • Finish cubbies
  • Transfer remaining hardware
  • Develop communication protocol
  • Finish AVR
  • BOM documentation
  • Documentation in general
  • Document boards (electrical stuff)
  • BOM
    • Better LEDS
    • Better Range
    • Different led layout
  • Build gerbil
  • More behaviors
    • Get robots that move
  • IR proximity
  • Rework bump sensors
  • Figure out a name for firefly2
  • Autonomous recharging
  • More behaviors
  • Mount Sharp IR sensor
  • User sharp for gerbil detection (many issues)
  • Pyro protection
  • Robot shell
  • Meeting of the minds
  • Ford
Priorities
  • High:
    • solver
    • AVR
    • Cubbies
  • Medium:
    • blinder_test
    • range finding
    • Mount sensors
  • Long-term
    • Complex Behaviors
    • Communication
    • Proximity
    • Everything else

Iain's joke of the week:

...
2 out of 3 prefer cereal