My teammates and I built an autonomous Mars Rover controlled by a few sensors programmed in C, an Arduino, and with custom 3D printed wheels.
Inspiration
After seeing how easy it is to accidentally bump into objects while driving or parking, most notably when not paying attention to your blindspots, we felt it would be highly beneficial to develop prototype software for preventing these cases.
What it does
This product detects the distance from the car to the nearest potential collision. When the tracker determines the distance to be at risk of a collision or bump, it will bring the vehicle to a stop. From there, the vehicle will be able to manipulate its direction in order to continue in a safe path.
How we built it
We built this primarily using an Arduino microcontroller, programmed in embedded C, and an ultrasonic distance tracker in order to implement real-time collision detection. Additionally, in order to develop the robot, we needed to 3D print the wheels and create a chassis in order to contain, house, and support all of our components.
Challenges we ran into
One of the primary challenges we ran into while developing this project was unfamiliarity with CAD software to develop our components and difficulties with printing the desired products.
In addition, another challenge that we have faced was consistency in terms of reaching the same desired output every attempt. This was especially evident when working with wiring.
What we learned
We learned how to better develop 3D models when working with CAD and models to be 3D printed. We also worked with hardware for the first time and faced several difficulties. For example, one of the motors needed soldering, which we were able to learn whilst at the in-person event.
What's next for WALL-E
The next steps for our project would lean towards further developing the product to be more scalable to larger vehicles which may require collision detection. More sensors would also help improve the vehicle’s ability to detect possible collisions and stop in time.