GPS Navigation for Field Mobile RobotsPage 1 of 24GPS Navigation for Field Mobile RobotsProject ProposalChris FoleyKris HornRichard Neil PittmanMichael WillisCPSC 483February 9, 2004GPS Navigation for Field Mobile RobotsPage 2 of 24Table of ContentsIntroductionProblem background 3Needs statement 3Goal and objectives 3Method of SolutionLiterature and technical survey 4Design constraints and feasibility 5Evaluation of alternative solutions 6Statement of workProposed design 8Research 8Construction 8Testing 9Approach for design validation 10Mark III Controller Board Kit 10Garmin 15L Wired GPS 10Stampede Monster Truck 11TS-025 Electronic Compass 12Economic analysis and budget 12Schedule of tasks, Pert and Gantt charts 13Project management and team work 16Societal, safety and environmental analysis 16Appendices 18CV/qualifications of team members 19Bibliography 23Project Datasheets 24GPS Navigation for Field Mobile RobotsPage 3 of 24Problem BackgroundThe purpose of this project is for the team of students to design and construct avehicle capable navigating to a sequence of wave points. This effect is to beaccomplished using a global positioning system to allow the vehicle to becomeaware of its position on the earth and the positions of wave points relative to itscurrent location. This device must be a robust vehicle capable of travelingoutdoors on mostly flat ground and able to carry the load of what components arenecessary for it to accomplish its function. Needs StatementThe project will provide the members of the team with experience in the designprocess from conception to implementation. This experience will be necessary asthe members of the team go into their careers and seek to participate in projectsof similar and larger complexity.Furthermore, the project when completed will produce a vehicle capable in partof self-navigation with users providing the path. This can later be furtherexpanded to have an artificial intelligent planner decide on the path with usersonly providing beginning and ending points. The platform can be used in manyways depending on what additional hardware is added. Such applications includeinformation gathering, transportation of small materials, remote presence, andenvironmental surveying. Goals and ObjectivesObvious goals for this project are fulfill the requirements provided by theprofessor and teaching assistant. The set goals drawn up between the studentteam and the professor can be thought of a rubric with which our project willjudged. The project goals include but are not limited to the following:GPS Navigation for Field Mobile RobotsPage 4 of 24• Interface micro controller with global positioning system• Interface micro controller with remote control vehicle• Use micro controller to interconnect global positioning system and remotecontrol vehicle• Vehicle will be sturdy enough to cover mostly flat terrain while carrying apayload of electronic equipment including the global positioning system.• Vehicle will be able to establish its own location on earth and useinformation from the global positioning system to navigate to a userdefined point.• Vehicle will be able to follow a path of points provided by a user.Literature and Technical SurveyOur team has utilized several resources to familiarize ourselves with thecomponents that will make up our final project. We researched general GPSrelated articles as well as specific data sheets of GPS units. In addition we havelearned about radio controlled cars, and how to modify them. The proposeddesign for the GPS unit will incorporate a compass system that has already beenused by a CPSC 483 group from last semester. Our group will need to be familiarwith the literature provided by the compass group from last semester. Below isthe list of resources that we have used so far in researching our project.www.navtechgps.com• This site allowed us to learn about several GPS units and compare priceswww.howstuffworks.com• Contains general information about how GPS units work.www.junun.org/MarkIII• Contains documentation of the Mark III board that we are using.www.qkits.com• Another site that sells electronic kits such as GPS kits.www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk/lcd1.pdf• An article titled “How to use Intelligent Lcds”GPS Navigation for Field Mobile RobotsPage 5 of 24www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~ih/doc/lcd/operatio.html• Contains documentation on the HD44780 lcd standards.http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~jreasor• This site is the homepage of a Tulane graduate student who is doing asimilar project.www.oopic.com• Contains documentation of the OOPIC which is the microprocessor thatwe are using.http://www.superdroidrobots.com/sensors_compass.htm• Contains information about the electronic compass.http://www.digitalnemesis.com/catalogue/RLC1/RLC1.htm• Contains information about an rs232 to TTL converter.Design Constraints and FeasibilityThrough the design process we will be limited by several different types ofconstraints.The first of these constraints is budget. We do not have a fixed limit on how muchwe can spend for this project. However we must justify each purchase by makingsure that it is the most cost effective part and that it is necessary to reach thefinal goal. We have been asked to keep the project to an approximate cost of fivehundred dollars.Another constraint of this project is time. We only have one semester to completethe final product. Therefore we have to be careful in how far we plan to take theproject. Our team must find a medium between a project that is feasible tocomplete, and a project that is challenging. A major effect of our time constraintis ordering parts. It will be imperative that parts are ordered as soon as possibleso that we are not waiting on parts to begin construction. It will also be importantthat we hold the vendors responsible for shipping our ordered parts in a timelymanner.GPS Navigation for Field Mobile RobotsPage 6 of 24The technical scope of our project is yet another possible constraint. This ispartially related to the time constraint. Since we are on a limited schedule, aproject that is too difficult and too technically challenging may not be possiblegiven the teams experience with this subject. However, our project needs to bechallenging enough so that we are generating the best possible product withinthe given time period.Evaluation of Alternative SolutionsThroughout the initial design process we have come up with several alternativesolutions to