ECE 4370/7340 and CS 4730/7730: Building Intelligent Robots, Spring, 2009

PROJECT # 3: Topological Navigation

Demos in Lab: April 27/28 and May 4/5

Report Due: Wednesday, May 6

 Each team will design and build a mobile robot that can play a game on the field shown below. (Note: The field diagram is approximate. See the real field in lab.) Four colored cans will be positioned in the North circled areas, a different colored can in each circle. Four colored targets will be positioned behind the South circles. The game has three parts (part 3 is for extra credit):

(1) Build a topological map showing the positions of the colored cans and the colored targets. The map should be displayed on the screen using the initials of the colors, showing the 4 North circles (West to East) and then the 4 South circles (West to East).

(2) The robot must move each can to its corresponding colored target area.

(3) Repeat part 2 when there are obstacles on the playing field (for extra credit).

For each part, the robot will start on the West end of the field, halfway between the North and South circles (headed East). Each part will be timed. The winner of part 1 is the robot that builds a successful topological map in the shortest time period. The winner of part 2 (and part 3) is the robot that successfully transfers the most cans into the correct target area in the shortest time period.

	North
		East
	South

Robots must use sensing, including the camera. Each team will run the course in lab on the due date.

A written report is also required by each student. The following items should be addressed in the written reports:

1. The design of the robot, including control of the actuators

2. The sensors used and the desired information gained from the sensors.

3. The architecture diagram showing how sensory information and behaviors are combined.

1. A state diagram illustrating the coordination of the behaviors.

2. Documentation on your strategy for generating and using a topological map to plan the trajectory, including the representation of the map.

3. 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)

4. The robot program code