MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Autonomous Target
Tracking Robot
ECE 480 – Team 7 Final Proposal
Victor Abreu, Matthew Beutler, Brent Eisenmann,
Hisham Hassan, ThomasSchriefer, Peng Xie
Course Instructor: Timothy Grotjohn
Design Team Faculty Facilitator: Jian Ren
Sponsor: Timothy Grotjohn – Michigan State ECE Department
Executive Summary
This project focuses on the design and creation of an Autonomous Target Tracking Robot. This design
will address many engineering issues and customer needs specified by the Michigan State Electrical and
Computer Engineering Department. This design will involve communication between a central Arduino
microcontroller and a command station. It will also involve programming in the OpenCV library, which
utilizes the C++ language. The Arduino will allow for Bluetooth communication between the command
station and the robot. A pre-existing tank kit was acquired to provide easy movement and robot rotation.
This robot must also be capable of autonomously following a predefined object for a period of time, while
avoiding collisions with the object and other obstacles. Data such as video, speed, and direction must be
wirelessly sent to a command station that can save all information. There are many design requirements
that must be met, along with a strict design budget.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 3
1. TECHNICAL ............................................................................................... 3-10
BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................... 3
DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS/CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS ............................................ 3
a. FAST Diagram............................................................................................ 4
a. Design Specifications Table ....................................................................... 5
CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS ........................................................................................ 6
a. Decision Matrix ........................................................................................... 7
DESIGN SOLUTION ............................................................................................... 8
RISK ANALYSIS .................................................................................................. 10
2. PROJECT MANAGEMENT ...................................................................... 11-12
PERSONNEL PLAN.............................................................................................. 11
SCHEDULE ........................................................................................................ 11
a. 4 Phases ................................................................................................. 11
b. Gantt Chart ............................................................................................... 12
MEASUREMENT OF SUCCESS .............................................................................. 11
3. COST ........................................................................................................ 13-14
BUDGET ............................................................................................................ 13
4. REFERENCES ............................................................................................... 15
Introduction
2
The design team, consisting of seniors majoring in electrical or computer engineering, has been
assigned the task to design and create an Autonomous Target Tracking Robot. The sponsor for this
project is the Michigan State Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. This technology could be
utilized and implemented in a number of different areas, such as military applications and child
monitoring. The design team will be creating a design solution to meet our requirements with a budget of
$500. The purpose of this project is to develop an autonomous vehicle that will communicate wirelessly
with a separate control station. This will include many aspects of both electrical and computer
engineering, such as wireless network communication, microcontroller communication, motor control, as
well as circuit and power design.
1. Technical
Background
The first instance of modern robotics appeared in 1948 when George Devol and Joe Engleberger
created the first robotic arm. The two later created the first robotics company in 1956. In 1979, the
Stanford Cart crossed a chair filled room without human assistance. It did this by using a camera to take
pictures and then sending the pictures to a computer for analysis. (Bellis). The robot could travel at a rate
of about one meter every 15-20 minutes, at which point it would take pictures and reassess the
surroundings. It did this by utilizing an onboard computer to make the necessary calculations. This
computer could be compared to today’s microcontrollers. (Moravec). The first real rugged autonomous
vehicle was The Terregater, which was created in 1984. This was designed primarily for road mapping
and mine exploration. This is the first instance where an autonomous robot had a specific function.
(RobotWorx).
The idea of an autonomous tracking robot is relatively new technology. Robots have been
around for decades, but having one that can essentially think on its own has not been explored until
recent developments in microcontroller technology. Recent developments in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
technologies have also allowed for exploration into wireless control, and wireless data transfer. Due to
these factors, interest in this field is beginning to explode, especially because of a recent mandate set
forth by the US military. "The U.S. Congress has mandated that by the year 2015, one-third of ground
combat vehicles will be unmanned, and the DOD is now developing a multitude of unmanned systems
that it intends to rapidly field." (Weiss). Additional importance is being placed on the space rovers used
by NASA. These new rovers, especially the ones currently on Mars, must have an autonomous capability
to help adapt to the terrain.
Design Specifications/Customer Requirements
The desire for this project is to create an autonomously controlled target tracking robot that is
able to follow the movements of a marked target. We specified the object to be tracked as a bright yellow
tennis ball. The ECE Department clearly listed many additional design requirements, as well as what
components were necessary to use. No components were provided to the team from the sponsor, so
research had to be done on every part. The robot must be designed to operate in a normal indoor
environment, at room temperature. The robot is allowed to be manually guided to the target area,
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although it must be wireless controlled. Once the robot is within four feet of the target, it must be capable
of having 360 degrees of rotation to autonomously find the object using a wireless camera. This range of
motion must be done by the robot having a zero turn radius. Once the target is acquired, the robot must
move to a maximum distance of three feet from the object, and remain within that range for the duration
of the time. Run time must elapse at least one hour, at a speed of five miles per hour. Additionally,
sensors must be implemented to prevent collision of the robot and the target, and other surrounding
objects.
A microcontroller must be used to wirelessly communicate and relay information back to a base
computer, as well as provide complete control over the speed and motion of the robot. This information
must be saved automatically into a database. A manual shut off switch must be hard wired into the robot
to cut off power to all components for safety. Additional features may be added as the design progresses
that improve upon the requirements. The final delivery date for this design is April 26, 2013.
The FAST Diagram is shown below. This demonstrates the path that was taken when
determining what problems needed to be addressed, and how possible solutions would be implemented.
Figure 1: Fast Diagram
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5
Design Specification
Primary
Secondary
Autonomously
identify and
follow marked
target using
camera
Remotely
controllable to
and from the
target area
Autonomous
mode to search
360 degrees for a
predefined target
Close to within
three feet of target
without collision
Follow target
movements
Self-powered for
one hour
Five mph speed
Zero degree
turning radius
An electrical
package including
significant
computing power,
power supply, &
motor control
Two-way
communication
Structurally
sound chassis
Manual shutdown
Manual
Controller
Webcam
with
OpenCV
UltraSonic
Sensor
Battery
9
Tamiya
Gearbox
Tank
Design
3
9
1
1
9
9
1
3
3
9
1
9
3
3
1
1
Importance
3
9
4
5
3
3
3
3
4
1
9
3
3
3
3
Bluetooth
3
9
9
Arduino
9
3
3
1
Table 1: Design Specifications and Solutions
9
3
3
3
5
3
4
9
3
5
9
9
4
9
3
4
Conceptual Designs
Appearance/Maneuverability
Initial design ideas included using a four-wheel, independent axle RC car, a tank design with
treads, and an alternative flying quad-copter. The four-wheel independent axle design would allow for
each side of wheels to run off of one motor thus requiring two motors total. This would meet the zero
degree turn radius requirement. It would also have capabilities of speed that the other options might not.
The tank design is a simple implementation of the four-wheel RC car, but requires less effort to achieve
the zero degree turn radius. The treads may reduce overall speed, although the team still believes that
the goal speed can be met. It would also allow for rougher terrain travel. Finally, the quad-copter could
give the best maneuverability at a higher cost. However, it has a shorter use time and is much more
complicated not only for successful flight, but also for 3D navigation.
Communication/Control
Concepts for controlling the robot include using a standard Bluetooth joystick controller, a smart
phone, or using controls on a laptop via Labview. The team decided to use a joystick controller in
conjunction with Labview to provide the interface between the robot and user. PlayStation 3 controllers
have built in Bluetooth technology, which is a good option for wireless communication for the project. A
smart phone app for control is also an attractive idea that would build on recent wireless technology. The
team believes that a possible future solution would be to use smart phone technology for complete robot
control. Wi-Fi is another option for wireless communication, as has a much further range, and is
especially efficient when transferring video data.
Tracking
The customer required use of a webcam for tracking purposes and the team has found many
open source libraries that support video processing to make target tracking possible by using a camera.
There were many range sensors considered to determine distance from the tracked object and
surroundings to avoid collision. Some options included radar, sonar, and ultra-sonic range finders. Sonar
is not a good option for use in air medium. Radar has several negative aspects associated with it,
including delays and interference. The Doppler Effect would also require special considerations based on
the speed and direction of our moving robot. Ultra-sonic range finders give good accuracy and resolution,
but require multiple on each side to be useful for object avoidance because of their small detection angle.
Building a Body
In deciding the frame and look of the robot, some options included buying a premade vehicle,
building one from the ground up, or doing a combination of both. Buying a premade body seems like a
cheaper option, but limits the size and design type. Building one from the ground up would give more
freedom in design, but appears to be more costly. It also requires a lot more planning and building just
for the body, which exceeds the knowledge and expertise of the team. Doing a combination of both would
limit some design aspects, but still give some freedom in the overall style of the body. Buying a frame
with wheels and motors would ensure that parts run smoothly together, but would allow for custom design
of the outer shell.
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Look/Style
Maneuverability
Relative
Out of
5
Weight
Relative
Out of
5
-0.15
Appearance/
Maneuverability
Control
Communication
Tracking
Weight
Cost
Relative
Out of
5
-35
Weight
Relative
Out of
5
-20
Weight
Total
Score
-30
4 Wheel RC Car
2
0.3
3
1.05
4
0.8
3
0.9
3.05
Tank
3
0.45
3
1.05
4
0.8
3
0.9
3.2
Quad-copter
5
0.75
5
1.75
1
0.2
1
0.3
3
Smart Phone
3
0.45
2
0.7
2
0.4
1
0.3
1.85
Videogame Controller
3
0.45
3
1.05
4
0.8
4
1.2
3.5
Bluetooth
-
-
-
-
4
0.8
4
1.2
2
Wi-Fi
-
-
-
-
2
0.4
2
0.6
1
Radar
-
-
-
-
1
0.2
4
1.2
1.4
Webcam
Ultra-Sonic Range
Finder
Buying Pre-made
-
-
-
-
3
0.6
4
1.2
1.8
-
-
-
-
3
0.6
5
1.5
2.1
2
0.3
-
-
5
1
3
0.9
2.2
5
0.75
-
-
1
0.2
2
0.6
1.55
4
0.6
-
-
3
0.6
4
1.2
2.4
Building from the
Body
Ease of Use
Ground up
Mix of Buying and
Building
Table 2: Decision Matrix
7
The decision matrix shown below in Table 2 shows the thought process that helped determine the best conceptual design to meet all
of the requirements. When comparing the four-wheel remote control car, the tank, and quad-copter designs, it was found that the tank had the
best overall score, which indicates it may be the best solution to the design problem. The same technique was used for choosing the best
control mechanism, form of communication, tracking technology, and body style.
Design Solution
Software Design
The software will be designed to let the user view the real time stream video from the camera and
control the tracking function of the robot. The user will be able to select the target to track and get update
of the data such as robot speed from the robot. The software will be written in C++ with the Open Source
Computer Vision (OpenCV) Library to process the streaming video. Upon successfully acquiring the
target, the software will monitor the motion and position of the target object using the built-in algorithms in
the OpenCV library. It will continually send corresponding commands to the microcontroller to complete
the tracking motion of the robot. The team is planning develop the software on Mac and Windows
platforms so that the final software fill support both operation systems. An overview of all of these
processes is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Software Design
Hardware Design
The robot will be mounted on a Tamiya Tank Kit, which consists of the double gearbox, aTamiya
track and wheel set, and a universal plate. The Tamiya Tank Kit provides a stable, maneuverable, and
easily customizable base. The tank style chassis provides a zero turn radius and the ability to navigate
through a crowded area.
The robot needs to be able to track and follow the target in a normal indoor environment. This can
include obstacles that the robot must avoid. In order to avoid these obstacles, the robot has four
Devantech Ultrasonic Range Finders. The range finders can detect distances at a range of one
centimeter to four meters. With the distance between the robot and the obstacles known, an algorithm will
be written that will navigate the robot around the obstacles.
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The Sharp Infrared Sensors will be attached to the wheels of the robot. The purpose for this
device is to sense the number and duration of wheel rotations. This information will then be used in an
algorithm to calculate speed of the vehicle.
The webcam will be attached above the base of the tank for target tracking purposes. The
webcam will stream to the laptop through Wi-Fi so a visual picture of the robot’s surroundings can be
seen. Wi-Fi communication was chosen for the camera due to its higher bandwidth capabilities (up to
5GHz), and its 36m range capabilities. The camera will also follow the tracking algorithm to target the
desired object and store in memory.
The communication between human and robot movement will be implemented with a Bluetooth
joystick controller. The joystick will communicate directly to the microcontroller using the Bluetooth
technology. The controller has a bandwidth range of 2400-2480MGHz. The remote is a class 2, with a
range of 10 meters, which is a range that is easily controllable by the user. Additionally the PC laptop can
be used to command the robot.
The Arduino Uno is a microprocessor with 14 digital input/outputs and 6 analog inputs. It has a
16MHz ceramic resonator included with a USB connection, power jack, ICSP header, and reset button.
The size is 2.7” x 2.1” which is small enough for the vehicle to carry. The Arduino Uno is also WiFi/Bluetooth compatible which will be implemented in the webcam and Bluetooth remote. The
microcontroller will take the distance indicated by the ultrasonic range finders and send the data back to
the PC laptop. The tracking algorithm can take the next steps in order to follow the object within the
specified range. The process will also help prevent collision with other objects in the robot’s surroundings.
All of the information sent through the Arduino back to the PC will be stored in a database. Commands
from the PC or Bluetooth controller will allow the Arduino Uno to deliver the users specified action to the
robot. (“Arduino”). The final hardware design is shown below in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Hardware Design
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Risk Analysis
The potential risks involved with the design can be put into three main categories: mobility difficulties,
tracking issues, and battery complications.
Mobility Difficulties



Robot drives off ledge: This could be caused by the robot attempting to follow the target over a
ledge such as a step. A fall of 50 centimeters or more could significantly damage the robot.
Despite the potential damage, the degree of risk is low since the project calls for a normal indoor
environment.
Robot cannot turn: This could happen if the robot gets “sandwiched” between two obstacles and
is unable to rotate. The robot has range finders to detect potential obstacles and programming to
avoid and escape these situations. Because of this, the degree of risk is low.
Robot travels out of range of communication: Under perfect conditions, the Bluetooth Module
can communicate with a receiver up to 10 meters away. However, the robot will not always be
operating in perfect conditions, and could lose communication with the computer at a much
shorter distance. This makes the degree of risk medium.
Tracking Issues


Robot loses target: It is possible that the robot will lose track of the target. While occurrences of
this can be reduced with improved programming, it likely cannot be entirely eliminated. Because
of this, the degree of risk is high.
Robot tracks wrong target: This could be caused by the introduction of an object that is visually
similar to the target object. For example, if a tennis ball is selected for the robot to track, and a
second tennis ball is introduced, this could cause the robot to track the wrong target. This can
likely never be entirely eliminated by improved programming and is assigned a degree of risk of
high.
Battery Complications


Combustion of battery: When overcharged, lithium ion batteries can overheat and even catch
on fire. To make sure this doesn’t happen, we will use a charger that shuts off before the battery
is overcharged. Although potentially catastrophic, the degree of risk is low.
Battery runs out of power: It is possible that the battery does not contain enough energy to run
the robot for a one hour period. If this is the case, we could easily add a second battery, making
the degree of risk low.
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2. Project Management
Personnel Plan
For this project, each team member had a technical role, as well as a non-technical position.
These are listed below in Table 3. Below that table is a breakdown of the design process into four
phases from start to finish, with descriptions of each section.
Team Member
Technical Contribution
Non-Technical Contribution
Victor Abreu
Testing Engineer
Manager
Matthew Beutler
Mechanical Design Engineer
Presentation Prep
Brent Eisenmann
Sensor/Motor Technician
Document Prep
Hisham Hassan
Networking Administrator
Presentation prep
Thomas Schriefer
Data Analyzer
Lab Coordinator
Peng Xie
Program Developer
Webmaster
Table 3: Member Functions
Schedule
Phase 1


Research existing technology and similar products. Find out information and specifications for
possible parts to ensure they meet the design requirements.
Develop conceptual design solutions.
Phase 2



Choose final design solution.
Finalize part list and order all items.
Create management plan and timeline.
Phase 3


Build initial design and begin programming microcontroller.
Test design, and troubleshoot any coding errors.
Phase 4



Review test results.
Make any design modifications as necessary.
Finalize prototype
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A timeline was created to mark all important due dates, along with goal dates to have certain tasks
accomplished. These dates and events are all shown in Table 4. In Figure 2, the project planning Gantt
chart is shown. This is a detailed timeline to track the progress of the project, with each of the individual
roles indicated. The critical path is highlighted as the red boxes and lines shown to emphasize the most
crucial components of the design.
Table 4: Tasks with Start and Completion Dates
Figure 2: Gantt chart
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Measurement of Success
In the end, this project will be evaluated by how well we met the design requirements. The
customer has a specific need that they have, and the design team will do everything we can to fill that
need with our design. At the bare minimum we need to have completed all of the tasks that were
discussed in the previous section when we determined our design, and parts list. The hope is to build on
the requirements and also improve the design with improvements of our own. Additionally, certain
concepts may be learned during the building of this robot that could hopefully be mentioned at the end as
possible improvements. This will be a working prototype, but additional improvements could undoubtedly
be made once the project is submitted.
3. Cost
Budget
The budget allotted for this design project is set at $500. The goal is to find reliable components
to build a robot yet still maintaining a relatively low cost. Table 5 below displays the current cost analysis
for the parts to be used for the final design. Additional parts may be ordered as needed, but the current
cost leaves a lot of room for additional purchases, while still staying under the desired budget.
Budget
Part
Cost
Robot Body
Tamiya Double Gearbox
Tamiya Track and Wheel Set
Tamiya Universal Plate
$14.48
$7.84
$5.33
Data Acquisition
Wireless Wi-Fi Enabled Webcam
4x Ultrasonic Range Finder
$58.00
$118.00
Microprocessor and
Electronics
Arduino Uno Board
Motorshield for Arduino
Sharp Infrared Sensor
DFRobot Serial Bluetooth Module
Li-Ion 18650 Battery + Charger
Total
$20.95
$24.99
$14.95
$21.90
$69.90
$328.69
Table 5: Budget Analysis
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The body of the robot is made up of three parts: the double gearbox, the track and wheel set,
and the universal plate all produced by Tamiya. Together, these provide the base onto which everything
is mounted. The Tamiya kit was chosen for the tank style treads that allow the robot to have a zero turn
radius, it’s low cost, and because it is easy to modify.
To acquire data for the microprocessor, the robot uses a webcam and four range finders. For the
webcam, we chose the D-Link DCS-930L mydlink-Enabled Wireless-N Network Camera. We chose this
webcam because of its low cost and its ability to transmit video wirelessly from the robot to the
computer. For the range finders, we chose four Devantech SRF05 Ultrasonic Range Finders. These were
chosen for their low price and their ability to detect ranges in the range of one centimeter to four
meters. These range finders are needed both to calculate the distance from the robot to the target and
to find objects near the robot which must be avoided.
To process this data and control the robot, we chose the Arduino Uno R2 Board and the
Motorshield for Arduino. We chose the Arduino Uno for its ease of use, low cost, and compatibility with
the open source program OpenCV. The Motorshield is compatible with the Arduino Uno and is used to
drive the two DC motors of the Tamiya double gearbox. The DFRobot Serial Bluetooth Module is used to
communicate between the computer and the Arduino Uno. The Bluetooth Module was chosen for its
compatibility with the both the computer and the Arduino Uno and for its transmission distance of up to
thirty meters.
To power the robot and the onboard electronics, we chose the Li-Ion 18650 Battery: 11.1V
2.4Ah Battery Module. We chose this battery because of its voltage, energy, and its ability to be
recharged without affecting the memory. The components of the robot and the voltage that they
require can be seen in the table below. The 11.1 voltage of the battery is within the required range to
power the Arduino Uno and the Motorshield, and the Arduino Uno has a 5 Volt output pin to power the
webcam and the range finders.
Component
Webcam
Arduino Uno
Motorshield
Ultrasonic
Range finders
Required
Voltage
5V
7 to 12 V
5 to 12 V
5V
Table 6: Voltage Requirements
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4. References
"Arduino Uno." Arduino. Arduino, n.d. Web. 20 Feb 2013. <http://arduino.cc/en/Main/arduinoBoardUno>.
"Robot Timeline - Robotic History." RobotWorx. RobotWorx, n.d. Web. 18 Feb 2013. <http://www.usedrobots.com/robot-education.php?page=robot timeline>.
Bellis , Mary. "Timeline of Robots." About.com. About.com, n.d. Web. 18 Feb
2013.<http://inventors.about.com/od/roboticsrobots/a/RoboTimeline.htm>.
Moravec, Hans. "The Stanford Cart and The CMU Rover." . Carnegie-Mellon
University, n.d. Web. 18
Feb 2013.
<http://www.frc.ri.cmu.edu/~hpm/project.archive/robot.papers/1983/ieee83.mss>.
Weiss, Lora. "Autonomous Robots in the Fog of War." ieee Spectrum. (2011): n. page. Web. 13 Feb.
2013. <http://spectrum.ieee.org/robotics/military- robots/autonomous-robots-in-the-fog-of- war/1>.
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