EE Rover
Lophognathus Group
PURPOSE
The project's purpose was to design a remotely-controlled rover to explore a sensitive forest and identify unusual creatures. The creatures have evolved to communicate with electromagnetic and acoustic signals. The rover developed must explore the forest, detect the signals and classify the species of the creatures it finds.
High Level Design
SENSORS
The sensors unit consists of a radio frequency sensor, an infrared sensor, a magnetic sensor and an ultrasonic sensor. These sensors detect the four signal types emitted by the lizards and then transmits data to the microcontroller through separate analogue input pins. The sensors are mounted on the chassis and are placed at the front of the Rover.
INTELLIGENT SYSTEM
The intelligence system processes some of the data returned by the sensors and determines the lizard species by comparing the data to the following table. The system is also able to attach a percentage of certainty to the result if the data does not entirely match the two properties listed.
CONTROL SYSTEM
The main features of the control system in the EE Rover is that it is a Cross-platform app, which is aesthetically pleasing, logical, and straightforward to use by the mobile application user. Moreover, it includes two fully customised joysticks that control the speed and the direction of the EE Rover. The Rover and the application are connected via HTTP.
MECHANICAL DESIGN
The Rover has a ground clearance of three centimetres. It has a compact chassis and runs on front-wheel drive, with two wheels at the back for stability. Having a 2-wheel drive allows it to manoeuvre through the forest and overcome obstacles. The Rover is powered by four AA batteries.