CMPSCI 503(591C) -- Project #5

Project #5 - Wall Follower

This is a hardware, software, and control lab. You will add Ping range sensors to your chassis. Your team must decide whether to use 1 or 2 sensors and determine the sensor geometry (scan/no scan) to provide feedback information adequate for following a piecewise linear wall on the right hand side subject to concave (+90/180 degrees) and convex (-90 degrees) corners. Mount and interface your Ping sensors. Write a stable (negative feedback) control policy for staying within a predefined range to the right-side wall. Implement and evaluate the performance of your control strategy.

Materials:

standoffs/screws for mounting the Ping/servo motor geometry to your chassis. You may use at most 2 Ping sensors and a small servo motor.
Arduino Board, motor shield
2 Ping ultrasonic range finders
(optional) servo motor for scanning
wire for interfacing

Quick Start:
The 5V pin of the PING is connected to the 5V pin on the Arduino, the GND pin is connected to the GND pin, and the SIG (signal) pin is connected to digital pin 7 on the Arduino. Open the Arduino IDE and connect the Arduino to the computers USB port. Upload the following code to Arduino by saving it in a new sketch and clicking the Upload button. The code is based on the Ping example that comes with the Arduino IDE (File->Examples->6.Sensors->Ping).

Other Resources:

Grading:

develope wall following code and demonstrate one complete circumnavigation of the evaluation maze
Report:
- describe your sensor/chassis geometry (include a figure) and software control strategy for wall following.
- if you require a finite state supervisor to completely circumnavigate the maze, report it completely.
- provide some critical, quantitative performance data regarding your finished wall following system.