Overview of Status of Analysis, Design, Fabrication, Tests, etc.
Component Design in progress for drivetrain, charger
Access to Pozyx trilateration system obtained and proof of concept trials/interfacing with Raspberry Pi this week
Running ROS (Robot Operating System) on Raspberry Pi this week
Accomplishments from Previous Week
Finished Design Proposal presentation
Gained access to workspace from Ian Richardson
Goals for Next Week (list names after each item). Use specific and measurable objectives.
By 1/25, purchase motors for the drivetrain. Responsible: Ivan
By 1/25. purchase battery and determine charging method. Responsible: Fuad
By 1/24, determine how to interface Raspberry Pi with Pozyx system
Sponsor Comments from Last Meeting and Actions Taken to Address these Comments (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)
Met with Mr. Wolfson Monday afternoon (1/22). He visited our workspace.
Dan provided feedback with, among other things, preferences for motor safety disconnect system, giving consent for user operated manual lever (cable driven) to disengage drivetrain instead of automatic system with solenoid or similar electronic solution. Action: will evaluate costs and benefits to manual system instead of automatic system.
Instructor Comments from Last Meeting and Actions Taken to Address these Comments (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)
At Design Proposal presentation on 1/16, Dr. Tustaniwskyj commented that a solenoid and dog gear disengagement method may not be reliable enough mechanically. Action: More research and a cost-benefit comparison will be performed to compare that solution to others, including manual disengagement.
Comments from Other Students in the Class (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)
Aryo informed us on 1/16 that we should look into ROS (Robot Operating System) instead of trying to design everything from the ground up.
The point was brought up at the presentation on 1/16 that charging the battery too frequently may not be conductive to battery health. Possible solution is to have the walker drive to the charging port, then perform a battery check, and only dock if battery is below ~50-60% life.
Risks and Areas of Concern
The sponsor has given the team until the end of the week on 1/26 to evaluate the Pozyx system he has borrowed and determine whether it will work well enough to proceed with purchasing another copy.
Resources or Information Required but not Available
N/A
Schedule
Upcoming milestones:
Interface Pozyx with Raspberry Pi
Make purchasing decisions on the drivetrain motor and battery.
Gantt Chart updated
Budget (list amount spent and amount remaining)
No money was spent by the team this week, although we have acquired Roomba parts and a Pozyx system through our sponsor.
Progress on Report and Webpage
The sections of the report that were due on 1/19 were written as a rough draft.