20. Project development¶
Update on what system I’m using¶
After looking at all of my options, I’ve decided that GPS is going to be the best system for this project, beacuse the wagon will be outside and interference shouldn’t be a risk. I will be following the GPS tutorial that I referenced in my implications and applications link. However, I plan to start by learning each system individually before following the tutorial.
This week I updated my final project progress, and used time management tools to plan out the next 9 days of my project.
What’s Done¶
For more details of everything done, see the referenced week or my final project tab
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CNC’d Wagon, planning on making original design but do have one that I can use in case the other doesn’t get done, see CNC week.
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Starting electronics: Time of flight (see input week and electronics production), using bluetooth module, controlling motors (see output week)
-Little progress on coding, but I know what libraries I will use
What needs to be done¶
-No progress on GPS or compass module, but have found tutorials.
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Everything is breadboarded right now, need to design and mill boards
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Need to design electronics for mounting
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Need to redesign a scaled version of the wheels and tires, as well as mold and cast them
Gantt Chart¶
I created a Gantt chart with eveything still left to do, and the timeframes for each task.
Timing¶
Access to lab from 4-8 per day with 8 days left = 40 hours in lab. Here’s how I plan to divide my time
Wagon Redesign and Milling: 5 Hours
Wheels and Tires Milling, + molding and casting: 8 hours
Designing electronics mounts: 2 Hours
Electronics: GPS module and compass: 10 Hours
Electronics: Time of flight and Motors: 3 hours
Electronics: Designing and Milling Boards: 5 Hours
Programming: 4 Hours
Systems Integration, Wire Mangagment: 3 Hours
I plan to create my slide and video outside of lab time, and will get some other work done outside of Lab Time as well to leave extra time.
HC-05 Bluetooth¶
Right now, I am trying to This tutorial by How-To Mechatronics to connect a seeed studio with an HC-05 bluetooth module to my laptop using arduino and processing. This way, I will first be able to test my interface from my laptop before developing an interface for a mobile device.
Starting Fresh, Reconsiderations.¶
After not being able to finish in the summer, I’ve had some time to step back and look at my project from a few different angles, and have made a lot of reconsiderations.
New Seeeds¶
Over the summer our lab got more of the Seeed studio XIAO series, this time with the NRF52840, ESP32C3, and the SAMD 21 chips. Because the NRF52840 and the ESP32C3 versions of the XIAO have built-in bluetooth, I am going to use one of these boards going forward.
Small mechanical reconsideration¶
With my current setup, I was intending for my caster wheel to be the “Front” of the wagon with 2 wheels in the back. However, this means that the caster wheel would be unstable over rough terrain and the motors would have to account for more variation. So instead, the caster wheel will now be the back, and I will mount the ToF sensor on the backside of the wagon.
Electrical changes¶
Rather than just relying on sensor data for controlling the motors, I will also be using rotary encoders attatched to the motors to recieve their speed.