Hands-free Autonomous
Satellite Operated
Vehicle
Carmen Swauncy
Eutdel Garcia
Gabe Ortiz
04/20/2006
Overview
I. Introduction
Problem Statement
Objectives
Constraints
Assumptions and Limitations
Operating Environment
Intended Use and Users
Needs / Feasibility Analysis
Standards
II. The Project
End Product Description
Concept Adjustments
Block Diagram
Functions & Specifications
Gannt Chart
Ethics
Introduction
Problem Statement
So many advances have been made daily to vehicles in order to increase the
demand of vehicle buying and trading.
► Some vehicle features include power locks, keyless entry, tracking systems,
and even headlight curvature for the road.
► In addition to that, the car will also be used as a military intelligence device.
► It will allow the death toll for car bombings to decrease, due to the fact that
the car will be able to direct it’s own path and not need someone to physically
drive it.
The goal of this project is to build, design, and field demonstrate an
autonomous vehicle that will navigate through a preprogrammed course
while avoiding obstacles.
The car will automatically follow the given path, with the use of global
satellite positioning, and without human maneuvering reach the desired
goal.
►
Introduction
Objectives
1) The car should follow a given path.
1.1 The car should follow the programmed path.
1.2 The car should follow any path with the use of GPS.
1.3 The car should reach a desired destination.
1.3.1 The car should reach the end of the course.
1.4 The car should avoid all obstacles.
1.4.1 The car should avoid unforeseen objects in it’s way.
1.4.2 The car should adjust accordingly when avoidances in the
road are reached.
1.5 The car should be able to operate without the use of human
maneuvering.
2) The car must be a reliable source of transportation.
2.1 The car must be durable.
2.2 The car must be safe.
2.3 The power consumption must be low.
2.4 The car must be user friendly.
Introduction
Constraints
Assumptions and Limitations
Constraints
► The project budgeted must be under $600.00.
► The project must be completed in time.
► Software limitations of the OOPic
Assumptions and Limitations
Assumptions
The device will be retrieved and acted upon by the OOPic
controller.
Limitations
It can only work in an open space where the GPS module
can pick up a signal.
It can only travel along the programmed obstacle course.
Introduction
Operating Environment
Intended Use and Users
Operating Environments
This project is intended for outdoor use only. When driving through
tunnels, advanced sensors will be used as tracking devices such as GPS
may not work.
Intended Use and Users
This project was designed to be operated by anyone who owns a
vehicle, driver’s license. For military use, military officials will program
the car to travel a given path.
Feasibility Analysis
Attribute
W
L1
Computer
Programming
Knowledge
2
3
4
H5
X
Sufficient people
X
What are the
chances of
meeting the
desired goal?
X
What % of total;
funds do we
have?
X
Are fundamentally
new inventions
required?
X
X
Circuitry
background
X
X
Technical writing
X
Total
31
Weight Scale
4.1
Solutions
Do not know enough about
programming
Take crash course
A group of 3
Enough group members
to complete the task
We have all the
components and a plan for
building the project on time
Separate the work in
groups of threes and
follow a weekly schedule
to accomplish goals
We have all the funds
required on our budget
Find a sponsor if
necessary
No new inventions on our design
Working areas
Mechanical
knowledge
Why
Unlimited access to
computer labs
Buy the necessary tools to
work from home
Each member has an
extensive background in
circuit analysis
Use background
knowledge
Each member does not
know enough about
mechanics
Take crash course or read
about similar projects that
involve the use of
mechanics
Each member has taken
courses and can express
their ideas through writing
Use computer generated
programs to help with
writing skills
Introduction
Needs Analysis
Introduction
Standards
K. Standards and Considerations
Standards for Remote Control driven Toys at 27Mhz. (2)
► radio services operating below 30 MHz are permitted to operate on any
frequency except for certain designed restricted bands within the 30MHz
spectrum
► frequencies below 30 MHz where wavelengths are greater than 10 meters, the
long stretches of electrical wiring can act as very efficient antennas permitting
the RF energy to be radiated over the airwaves
► The FCC conducted emission limits for radio services below 30 are reduced by
13 dB for comparison to the limits
Sec. 97.307 Emission standards (3)
► Emissions resulting from modulation must be confined to the band or segment
available to the control operator. Emissions outside the necessary bandwidth
must not cause splatter or key click interference to operations on adjacent
frequencies.
► No amateur station transmission shall occupy more bandwidth than necessary
for the information rate and emission type being transmitted, in accordance
with good amateur practice.
► No angle-modulated emission may have a modulation index greater than 1 at
the highest modulation frequency.
End Product Description
Concept Adjustments
The base vehicle is already designed and working.
The steering will need to be reworked for better range of
motion.
► We may need another microcontroller.
► We may need to lighten the vehicle by reducing the
amount of battery packs or reducing the size of the battery
packs.
► We will need to test the usability of the Sharp IR sensors
as compared to other, maybe better sensors.
► Sensor placement will be a key factor.
► We will need to move breadboard components to a pcb to
ensure proper connections are made between the various
circuitry.
►
►
The Project
Block Diagram
The Project
Functions and Specifications
Functions
►
►
►
►
Car must follow the desired path.
Car must avoid obstacles on its way.
The system must only run the downloaded program without any deviations.
Car must reach a desired destination.
Specifications
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
The car can move forward, backwards, left and right
Can detect objects from 10cm to 80cm away (based on Sharp sensor)
IC's, servos, and sensors are powered by 9.6volt battery pack regulated to 5
volts.
H-Bridge to drive motors and H-Bridge fan are powered off a 12 volt/3amp
battery pack.
GPS module will be powered off the 9.6 volts battery pack.
All supply grounds are connected together.
All IC's are protected against voltage spikes and current surges.
Gannt Chart
Task
Start
Days
End
User
May
June
10Jan
Order parts
1-May
10
10-May
Discuss
assignment
s
1-May
70
11-Jul
Program
Microcontro
ller
10-May
30
Design and
test
microcontro
ller with
GPS
Module
11-Jun
Build
course
20Oct
2131
Gabe
x
All
x
x
x
x
10-Jun
Gabe
x
x
x
x
15
29-Jun
All
30-May
15
15-Jun
Carmen
and
Eutdel
1-Jul
40
10-Aug
All
Test car on
course
15-Jul
25
10-Aug
All
Document
1-May
100
10-Aug
All
Test Car
x
x
July
10Jan
20Nov
x
x
x
x
2130
x
x
x
10Jan
20Nov
2131
5-Jan
x
x
x
x
August
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
10May
The Project Ethics
Ethical Issues









The first ethical issue for having autonomous vehicles that are
monitored by GPS is safety, accuracy, and the loss of human
employment.
Automated vehicles, controlled by GPS, impose a safety issue.
Humans must rely on the use of GPS to maneuver them throughout
traffic.
They must gain a sense of trust for the GPS system to get them to
and from there homes safely.
In addition to that, there lies an ethical issue of the accuracy of the
system.
If the GPS system is affected in some way due to weather
conditions or a loss of informational data, this could cause the use
of the GPS to be ineffective.
The system must be detailed and have a route of the city that must
be updated according to new highways and roads, as well as an
internal map of short cuts and back roads.
Creating a vehicle that is hands free could impose a problem for
human jobs.
It could increase the number of jobs that a lot of Americans use as
their source of income.
Creating the autonomous vehicles could also decrease the need for
people in the military if the car advances military intelligence.
The Project
Ethics
B. Determine the Stakeholders
The stakeholders are everyone who has a driver’s license, active men
and women in the military, the families and friends of people in the
military, and people who drive cars as their occupation daily.
C. Determine the Options
► Best Extreme – Create automobiles that only have a monitoring GPS
system.
► Worst Extreme- Create an automobile with GPS that incorporates all
the driving functions needed to go anywhere in the United States.
► Compromise – Create an autonomous vehicle with a GPS monitoring
system that is for personal and military use only. Use will be restricted
to work vehicles unless owner is self-employed. In addition to that the
car will incorporate a self drive mechanism.
The Project
Ethics
D. Application of Ethical Theories
► Utilitarianism supports the best extreme, as it would generate the
greatest benefit for the greatest number. If there was just an
automobile with a monitoring GPS system, a lot of people would not
have the concern of losing their jobs, the safety issue, and accuracy of
the system. They will rely on GPS tracking to get from one place to the
next, but use their sight to maneuver the car accordingly. The people
that have driving jobs will love the idea of using the GPS system, but
they will have job security with this choice and it will make their job a
little easier. Instead of following a map they can rely on the GPS
system.
► Ethical egoism supports the worst extreme, because it does not take
into consideration the people who drive for a living. It supports the
interests of the organization and takes no thought into the concerns of
the issues of safety that Americans may encounter. If the car is fully
autonomous and controlled by GPS, one day with advancements the
world could solely rely on robotics.
The Project
Ethics
► Ethics
of care would defend the compromise
option, because it would allow an option for the
military to decrease the number of deaths that are
related to vehicle bombings. In addition to that, it
would take into consideration the feelings of those
Americans that do not feel like driving on an
everyday basis. It also includes the feelings of
those who do not want to lose anyone to war
while caring about the want of people to do other
things while on their way to work.
The Project
Ethics
F. Choose, Defend, and Justify the Best Option Based on the
Analysis Above.
The best option is the compromise option because it takes
out the safety and accuracy concerns for those who do not
trust a computer based system. It also defends the people
who have loved ones and friends in the present day war
that do not want to lose them to vehicle bombings. Lastly
it gives the everyday human who may be in a hurry to
work the option to use the features of a fully autonomous
GPS controlled car that allows them to get safely to work
while finishing their morning tasks, such as drinking their
cup of coffee in the morning, applying makeup, or catching
the morning news.
Overview
I. Introduction
Problem Statement
Objectives
Constraints
Assumptions and Limitations
Operating Environment
Intended Use and Users
Needs / Feasibility Analysis
Standards
II. The Project
End Product Description
Concept Adjustments
Block Diagram
Functions & Specifications
Gannt Chart
Ethics
Questions & Answers
References
Parts
► shttp://www.digikey.com/digihome.html
► http://www.oopic.com/
► http://www.scientific.com.hk/
Support
► http://web.eng.fiu.edu/~arellano/
Background
► http://www.inventiondb.com/browse.php?cubeid=3&tabid=&stabid=0
&PHPSESSID=1b88a636a30af17010314517262d0692
► http://www.ewh.autoderek.com/soc/es/May2001/13/Begin.htm
Books
► Microelectronics Circuits 5th Edition by Sedra/ Smith
► Java Black Book: The Java Book Programmers Turn To First by Steven
Holzner
► Programming and Customizing the OOPic Microcontroller