Adviser: Dr. Becker-Gomez
Tim Southerton Matthew Morris
Brian Grosso
Lalit Tanwar
10/01/13
RC Camera Car SDR
Kevin Meehan
Alex Reid
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Background Information
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Problem Definition
Stakeholders
RIT Customer Update
Customer Requirements
Systems Analysis
 System / Hardware / Software
Functional Decomp
 Engineering Requirements
 System / Software Architecture
 Benchmarking
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Chassis
Camera
Microcontroller
Wireless Comm.
 Concept Selection
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Course
Console
Chassis
Microcontroller Mount
 System Prototyping
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Chassis Prototyping
Adapter Plate Schematic
Weight Analysis
Differential Drive Simulink
Car Power Budget
Circuit Diagrams
 Risk Assessment
 Test Plan
 Moving Forward
 Morph Chart / Pugh Matrix
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Overview
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Project Goal:
 Build a RC car platform controlled remotely with intuitive controls and
visual feedback that can be expanded to demonstrate Controls to
college students. The project needs to be captivating and able to
demonstrate multidisciplinary engineering innovation at various RIT
events this year and into the future.
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Deliverables:
1.
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3.
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RC Car Platform with Cameras and Sensors
Driving Station with Control
Equation of Motion of the System
Characterizing Parameters of the System
Source Code for Low Level Processing
Interface for Student Coding
Preliminary Differential Drive Code
Supporting Documentation
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Customer: Dr. Juan Cockburn
 Controls Professor, RIT, Computer Engineering (CE)
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Sponsors:
 RIT CE Department, Multidisciplinary Senior Design (MSD)
 Freescale Semiconductor
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Event Attendees:
 Imagine RIT
 Freescale Cup
 Various Campus Symposiums and Workshops
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MSD Team
Future RIT Researchers
Future RIT MSD Teams / Prospective Students
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System customer is
looking for long term was
done by a student at UC
Irvine
Balanced an RC car using
controls algorithm
Major Issues:
 HPI Racing Car ($)
Two-Wheel Self-Balancing of a Four-Wheeled Vehicle
David Arndt et al., IEEE Control Systems Magazine, March 2011
▪ Monster Truck Design
 Titanium Geared Servo ($)
▪ Precise, High Torque Steering
 22 State Variable Linearized
System Model
▪ Advising from 4 MIT Professors
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 Power to both wheels on the
ground
 High CG
 Large, Soft Tires
Balancing RC Car on Two Wheels
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To Current State
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Revised metrics mapping to functional
decomposition on all levels
Combined with constraints to make more
meaningful function connections
Revised metrics with new benchmarking data
Mapped new metrics to needs with HOQ
Added tests to measure metrics for test plan
Detailed Engineering Requirements
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Few affordable chassis options available
Most RC cars have open differential drives
Custom chassis would require significant time
Freescale chassis is donated but needs many
modifications
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http://www.mouser.com/im
ages/microsites/Freescale%
20Black%20Board.jpg
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http://upload.wikimedia.o
http://www.liquidware.co
http://circuitco.com/sup
rg/wikipedia/commons/3/3
d/RaspberryPi.jpg
m/system/0000/3648/Ardui
no_Uno_Angle.jpg
port/images/2/23/REV_
A5A.jpg
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Concept Selection
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First Pugh matrix low
datum
 Inspiration setup
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High end option
scores best but midrange RC close
Custom Chassis may
not be worth the
extra cost/effort
Budget / time
constraint issues
Current Chassis Good
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Tape Lines
Cones
Banked Course
Dog Fence
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Predefined sponsor and provided chassis
Nature of RC car development lends itself to
rapid prototyping and modification
Early prototyping conducted for further system
integration testing
 Documentation of modifications along the way to
develop iterated platform design
 Familiarization with platform and diverse
microcontroller options crucial to successful project
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ORIGINAL MODEL
MODIFIED VERSION
Movement!
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Adapter plate
generated in cap to
provide basis for future
modifications
 Design is simple and
can be easily made
using CNC for mass
production
 More CAD parts to be
made for 3D printing
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Projected chassis weight slightly under last years RIT
Freescale Cup car
Bigger wheels may help our car get over obstacles
Possibly looking for stronger motors for the drivetrain
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Preliminary system
model created with PI
control algorithm
 Modifiable once
parameters established
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Car power budget currently predicts high
battery capacity requirement for 1 hr runtime
 Initial testing suggests that battery weight
might be an issue
 Possible change to specs after further testing
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CONSOLE
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RC CAR
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Current Risk Assessment
Financial Budget – Overshooting the project
budget will cause the project to be incomplete.
 Probable cause for this would be:
▪ Bad benchmarking
▪ Project plans not detailed (i.e. delays in shipping)
 Budget will restrict the following:
▪ Prototyping (Little to none depending on components
chosen)
▪ Multiple backup parts for breakdown
▪ Lack of functionality
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Runtime Breakdown/Failure – Breakdown of
mechanical and electrical components during
testing and runtime
 Probable cause for this would be:
▪ Bad shielding from elements/ poor electrical shielding and
connections
▪ Extreme stress tests/ poor mechanical integrity
▪ Bad simulation runs/ poor software analysis
 This will result in:
▪ Dysfunctional product
▪ Increased stress on already limited budget
▪ More time spent on electrical and mechanical
debugging/fixing
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Test Chassis and Console
 Verify Physical Component Limitations
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Test Wireless Communications
 Functioning Distance
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Record Data at Imagine RIT
 User Feedback – Likert Scale
 Statistical Driving Data
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Finalized Project Deliverables
 Total Cost, Event Entries, Component Specs, Included
System Functionality
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Next Three Weeks
 Establish design for control station
 Evaluate options for camera, microcontroller, and
other electronics
 Test chassis and determine spatial layout
 Make choices based on price and power budgets
 Continuous benchmarking of new technologies
and ideas
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Budget constraints need to be refined to go
forward with component selection
More knowledge of control systems is
needed to refine the Simulink model
Simulink / student interfacing of controls
program needs to be better defined for
microcontroller selection
Movement controller needs to be improved
for future testing
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House of Quality
Test Plan
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Explored the option of
using wheel revs and
steering input to map a
course for virtual
mapping on a GUI
 Does not account for
slip in this version
 Something to show
driving paths using
platform sensors
Lap
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y (ft)
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