Week 16. Applications and implications

What it will do?

My final project will be the IntelliGoal as I called it. It will be a game based on a football goal controlled from a computer. With an application created for the computer, the user will select a position of the goal. Some indicators will be displayed in the goal to show where to aim at, and after the shoot, the accuracy of the shooter will be displayed in the computer application.

If I have time for project presentation (and if not later) I would like to include different games for the goal, with different users and so on, instead of a single select position and calculate accuracy.

Who's done that beforehand?

At the beginning of the semester I looked in internet to find if there was something similar, and I didn't found anything exact. I have found some similar things, but none automatized as I wanted it to be.

What materials and components will be required?

The materials needed will be basically divided into two: the materials needed for the goal structure and the electronics for the automatizations.

Goal structure: It is needed a MDF board to mill the goal parts.

Electronics: Depending on the size of the goal, several sensor will be needed (one to control each sensor). The design of the sensor was done in Networking and communications assignment. The list of components for each board are:

• 1 x Attiny84 microcontroller
• 1 x HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor
• 1 x LED diode
• 1 x 500 ohm resistor
• 1 x 10 kohm resistor
• 1 x 10 uF capacitor
• 2 x header pin connector
• 2 x socket pin connector

Where they will come from?

MDF come from a local vendor that we have here really near to the FabLab.

The electronics come from DigiKey, Mouser and similar online electronics sellers.

How much it will cost?

The cost of the MDF board is less than 20 €.

The cost of each electronic board is less than 10€, as the more expensive part is the microcontroller (less than 2€) and the ultrasonic sensor (less than 3€). I expect to use about 8 boards, so the total cost of the electronics will be below 80€.

Considering all together, the total cost of the goal will be less than 100€.

What parts and systems will be made?

Everything!!!. The goal structure will be made with the computer controlled machine, and the electronics custom designed. Only the ultrasonic sensor will be purchased instead of made, but it is even more cheap!!

What processes will be used?

• Computer aided design to design the goal structure
• Electronics production & electronics design for the boards
• Computer-controlled machining to create the goal structure
• Embedded programming for the code of the sensors
• Input devices (to measure from ultrasonic sensor) and output devices (the display of the position to aim at
• Networking and communications, as about 8 nodes will be used
• Interface and application programming, for the computer application

What tasks need to be completed?

I took advantage of previous week assignment to design and build some parts of the project, so a lot of work is already done. At this moment I have remaining:

• Machine the new design of the goal
• Mill and solder all the sensor boards needed
• Improve the code of the sensors to measure the distance
• Improve the code of the computer application for result calculations and sensor management

What questions need to be answered?

There are still some problems to be solved, as the data exchange between sensors and computer, what to do when nothing is detected, and so on. Anyway, at this moment I have a big concern before having the full system running: how to avoid interference between the sensors.

Using ultrasonic sensors make very easy and fast the development, but they have a big problem, and it is that as I am using a lot of identical ultrasonic sensors, they will interference themselves and mistake the measurements. I need to find a way to synchronize them and avoid that.

What is the schedule?

At this moment I have 3 weeks remaining to be able to present it on June 4th, so:

• Assemble the goal and verify if screw are needed (I hope not)
• Assemble all the electronic boards
• Program the sensors
• Make the application to control it from the computer.

How it will be evaluated?

I am sure I will have the goal working for that date, so the evaluation will be to test it in different conditions. Select from the computer different positions, and some times aim at it and some times not. If it is able to detect always the accuracy and the ball position, I consider it will be enough for this semester.