Final Demo :: ECE 445 - Senior Design Laboratory

Final Demo

Description

The Final Demo is the single most important measure (and assignment) for the success of your project. The evaluation is holistic, focused on whether your project is completed, well-designed, reliable, and usable. You will demo your project to your professor, at least one TA, and a few peer reviewers. Other guests (e.g. alumni, high school students, sponsors, or other department affiliates) may also be present.

Requirements and Grading

Students must be able to demonstrate the full functionality of their project by proving that all the requirements in their Requirements and Verification (RV) table are met. Students must bring a printed out version of their block diagram, high level requirements, and RV table. Credit will not be given for feature which cannot be demonstrated.

For tests that are lengthy or require equipment not available at the time of demo, students should have their lab notebooks or printouts ready to show testing data. For any portion of the project which does not function as specified, students should have hypotehses (and supporting evidence) of what is causing the problem. If your demo needs to happen somewhere that is not the Senior Design Lab, you must communicate this with your TA!

The design team should be ready to justify design decisions and discuss any technical aspect of the project or its performance (not just one's own responsibilities). Quantitative results are expected wherever applicable. The demo grade depends on the following general areas: See the Demo Grading Rubric for specific details, but in general, show the following:

  1. Completion: The project has been entirely completed.
  2. Integration: The project is well-integrated, looking more like a final product than a prototype.
  3. Performance: Performance is completely verified, and operation is reliable.
  4. Understanding: Everyone on the project team must must be able to demonstrate understanding of his/her technical work and show that all members have contributed significantly.
  5. Polish & Attention to Detail: The project is well-polished with the user in mind. Good attention to detail is afforded to useability, presentation, and packaging.

 

Submission and Deadlines

Signing-up for a demo time is handled through the PACE system. Again, remember to sign up for a peer review as well.

Autonomous Sailboat

Riley Baker, Arthur Liang, Lorenzo Rodriguez Perez

Autonomous Sailboat

Featured Project

# Autonomous Sailboat

Team Members:

- Riley Baker (rileymb3)

- Lorenzo Pérez (lr12)

- Arthur Liang (chianl2)

# Problem

WRSC (World Robotic Sailing Championship) is an autonomous sailing competition that aims at stimulating the development of autonomous marine robotics. In order to make autonomous sailing more accessible, some scholars have created a generic educational design. However, these models utilize expensive and scarce autopilot systems such as the Pixhawk Flight controller.

# Solution

The goal of this project is to make an affordable, user- friendly RC sailboat that can be used as a means of learning autonomous sailing on a smaller scale. The Autonomous Sailboat will have dual mode capability, allowing the operator to switch from manual to autonomous mode where the boat will maintain its current compass heading. The boat will transmit its sensor data back to base where the operator can use it to better the autonomous mode capability and keep track of the boat’s position in the water. Amateur sailors will benefit from the “return to base” functionality provided by the autonomous system.

# Solution Components

## On-board

### Sensors

Pixhawk - Connect GPS and compass sensors to microcontroller that allows for a stable state system within the autonomous mode. A shaft decoder that serves as a wind vane sensor that we plan to attach to the head of the mast to detect wind direction and speed. A compass/accelerometer sensor and GPS to detect the position of the boat and direction of travel.

### Actuators

2 servos - one winch servo that controls the orientation of the mainsail and one that controls that orientation of the rudder

### Communication devices

5 channel 2.4 GHz receiver - A receiver that will be used to select autonomous or manual mode and will trigger orders when in manual mode.

5 channel 2.4 GHz transmitter - A transmitter that will have the ability to switch between autonomous and manual mode. It will also transfer servos movements when in manual mode.

### Power

LiPo battery

## Ground control

Microcontroller - A microcontroller that records sensor output and servo settings for radio control and autonomous modes. Software on microcontroller processes the sensor input and determines the optimum rudder and sail winch servo settings needed to maintain a prescribed course for the given wind direction.

# Criterion For Success

1. Implement dual mode capability

2. Boat can maintain a given compass heading after being switched to autonomous mode and incorporates a “return to base” feature that returns the sailboat back to its starting position

3. Boat can record and transmit servo, sensor, and position data back to base

Project Videos