EdCo

1
Ed-Co

• Vision
• To produce a product which is both fun and
  useful
• To rule the world
• Members
• Scott Ferrell Sensors and Communications
• Jeremy Griffin MCU and GUI
• Aric Kalynchuk Software Development and
  Research
• Daisuke Kubo Power and MCU
• Chad Shaffer Communications
• Brent Thompson Sensors and MCU

2
Overview

• System Concept and Components
• Background and Market Research
• System Descriptions
• Control
• Radio Frequency (RF) Direction Finding
• Communications and Graphical User Interface
• Cost and Schedule
• Project Future

3
System Components

• Extremely mobile user interface
• Personal digital assistant
• Nintendo Game Boy
• Radio Frequency Beacon
• Mobile RF signal generator
• Small autonomous car
• Modified remote controlled car with a
  microcontroller unit and sensors

4
System Concept

• A mobile controller transmits drive parameters to
  vehicle
• The mobile controller receives sensed data from
  vehicle
• Two modes of vehicle operation
• Vehicle can track a RF beacon
• Vehicle can follow waypoints

5
Mode Concepts and Reasons

• Track
• Will locate and follow a RF beacon
• To show all of our skills
• Point to Point
• For vehicle testing
• Allows for future scalability

6
Market Research

• Competing Technology
• Remote car and sensor platforms being researched
  from MIT to high school students
• Most projects do not provide tracking/sensing
  technology that is integrable or upgradeable with
  current market technology

Computer controlled sensor platforms. ?
? Computer controlled racing, based on
pre-programmable behavior.
7
Market Research

• Largest Markets
• Safety
• after an accident, the violations that
  frequently top the list are failures to keep
  pathways clear, floors clean, and emergency exits
  freely accessible
• Jan Schut, www.plasticstechnology.com
• Scientific Research
• The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (H.V.O.) is a
  good example of an organization that regularly
  monitors and studies volcanic activity
• Entertainment
• Sams Club is selling twenty-four different types
  of RC monster trucks this holiday seasonSmart
  Track is the natural integration of technology
  that Sharper Image and Radio Shack customers
  already use and are willing to buy

8
System Overview

• RF beacon
• Vehicle
• RF receiver
• Vehicle controls
• Wireless comm.
• Base station
• Graphical user interface (GUI)

9
RF Direction Finding

• Horn antenna gain pattern consists of a single
  beam with minimal sidelobes

Horn 1
RF Beacon

• Allows for a very simple RF direction finding
  algorithm
• Measure received power from both antennas
• Turn in direction of antenna with greater
  received power

Horn 2
10
Vehicle Speed Control

• Speed Demand
• Determined based on the distance to the beacon
• Motor Speed
• Controlled by switching the motor supply on and
  off very quickly
• Responds only to the average effect
• Longer on speed increase
• Longer off speed decrease

11
Vehicle Direction Control

• Turn Demand
• Determined based on position with respect to the
  beacon
• Turning Control
• Two servo motors on the front wheels control the
  direction
• Pulse width modulation (PWM) determines the angle
  of rotation of the motor
• Longer pulse motor turns more
• Shorter pulse motor turns less

12
Vehicle Microcontroller Unit

• ATmega32 MCU
• I/O
• 32 programmable I/O lines
• Operating voltage
• 4.5 V 5.5 V
• Speed grades
• 0-16 MHz
• Power consumption at 1 MHz, 3V, 25ºC
• Active mode 1.1 mA
• Idle mode 0.35 mA
• Power-down mode

13
Choice of Communication

• Bluetooth powerful but expensive, complex, and
  power-hungry
• Zigbee developed for industrial applications
  not present in consumer devices
• Wireless fidelity (WiFi) integrated into PDAs
  Game Boy, and many handheld platforms

14
Extremely Mobile User Interface

• Has a very short setup time
• Easy to pack away
• Familiar technology to consumers
• Able to operate while client is in motion
• Possible languages and operating systems being
  considered are (Visual) C, PalmOS, Java/Flash

15
Extremely Mobile User Interface
16
Project Schedule
17
Project Schedule

• First half of winter quarter
• Building components
• Second half of winter quarter
• Integration/programming/debugging
• Everyone works in all areas, but responsibility
  focused for concurrent work

18
Budget
estimated own/borrow
19
Budget
estimated own/borrow
20
System Futures

• The beacon tracking mode
• Hunter-seeker applications
• The waypoint mode (greatest potential)
• Games
• Data sensing in hazardous areas
• Security patrols

21
Questions/Comments

• ?

22
Ed-Co Needs You!

• Your project not what you expected?
• Feel like you dont really matter?
• Looking for a group with vision and a future?
• We have an opening in the software development
  department
• Ed-Co is on its way up, join now and become a
  founding partner