ECE 4340/7340 and CS 4730/7730 Building Intelligent Robots, Spring, 2009

PROJECT # 2: Multi-Sensor Mobile Robot

Demo in Lab: March 16/17

Report Due: Friday, March 20

Each team will design and build a mobile robot, which uses at least 3 different types of exteroceptive sensors to perform some intelligent-like function or functions. The design of the robot, the choice of sensors, and the architecture used to combine sensory information and/or behaviors can be decided by each team. However, it must include rangefinder sensors to sense (at least some) obstacles without touching them and it must include the camera. Creativity is encouraged. Each team will present a brief oral report in lab and demonstrate their robot in a live demo. A written report is also required by each student. The following items should be addressed in both the written and oral reports:

1. The design of the robot system, including sensor positions and other add-on hardware components

2. The sensors used and the desired information gained from the sensors, with sensor characterization plots as appropriate.

3. The environment in which the robot operates. Include any limitations.

4. The desired function/s of the robot, especially how it should act with respect to its environment

5. The architecture used to combine sensory information or behaviors

6. Lessons learned by doing the project (e.g., which strategies worked, which didn't work very well, and what would you do differently next time)

In addition, the report should include

· A behavior table showing the releasers, perceptual schemas and motor schemas

· A state diagram illustrating the coordination of the behaviors

· An architecture diagram showing how the behaviors are combined

· The robot program code