WestBranchRobotics
EVette 3 Wheel configuration, Summer 2008
EVette, the autonomous GPS robot, in Summer 2008 configuration. The rear pair of drive wheels have been removed and replaced with a heavy-duty castering wheel. It no longer tracks as straight as it did in 4-wheel drive configuration.
In development since 2005, EVette was designed for the Mini Grand Challenge competition, hosted by Penn State University Abington Campus. In this competition, a robot must navigate a meandering path, then go offroad in the last segment, with only 6 GPS waypoints given 24 hours before the contest.
Most competitors used laptop computers and camera vision systems to navigate the path and identify obstacles and offroad conditions. EVette uses only sonar sensors and a newly added low-cost vision system for all of its obstacle avoidance and path navigation, as well as GPS and compass for waypoint planning and identification.
The autonomous 4-wheel drive skid steer robot is propelled by 2 Power Wheels Corvette drive trains. The master controller is a PIC16F877. A Parallax BS2P reads and
processes compass and GPS data. A PIC16F627 reads a 2 axis accelerometer and drives a unique self leveling gimbal that keeps the compass level. A Winbond controller directs the music and speech subsystem. Finally, the new vision module is controlled by a PIC 16Fxxx which reads the vision array, processes the data, and communicates with the master controller.
EVette 3 Wheel configuration, Summer 2008
EVette, the autonomous GPS robot, in Summer 2008 configuration. The rear pair of drive wheels have been removed and replaced with a heavy-duty castering wheel. It no longer tracks as straight as it did in 4-wheel drive configuration.
In development since 2005, EVette was designed for the Mini Grand Challenge competition, hosted by Penn State University Abington Campus. In this competition, a robot must navigate a meandering path, then go offroad in the last segment, with only 6 GPS waypoints given 24 hours before the contest.
Most competitors used laptop computers and camera vision systems to navigate the path and identify obstacles and offroad conditions. EVette uses only sonar sensors and a newly added low-cost vision system for all of its obstacle avoidance and path navigation, as well as GPS and compass for waypoint planning and identification.
The autonomous 4-wheel drive skid steer robot is propelled by 2 Power Wheels Corvette drive trains. The master controller is a PIC16F877. A Parallax BS2P reads and
processes compass and GPS data. A PIC16F627 reads a 2 axis accelerometer and drives a unique self leveling gimbal that keeps the compass level. A Winbond controller directs the music and speech subsystem. Finally, the new vision module is controlled by a PIC 16Fxxx which reads the vision array, processes the data, and communicates with the master controller.