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2007 : Maslab 2007 Kit
Students will be provided with all the materials they will need to construct their robots from scratch: a single board computer, a robotics controller board, sensors, motors, wood, plexiglass, bolts, screws - the sky is the limit and as always we expect students will constantly suprise us with clever ideas and smarter robots.
Electronics
The kit's most notable features include a 733MHz x86 PC that measures only 4x6 inches, a robotics interface board allowing the PC to interface to sensors and actuators, and a color camera.
The embedded PC is a Via Eden, with built-in VGA, ethernet, USB, PCMCIA, parallel, and serial ports. It has 256MB of RAM and a 4GB hard disk allowing it to run the Debian GNU/Linux, and to locally host development tools and other applications. The generous allotment of RAM and fast CPU speed allow real-time computer vision algorithms to run.
The robotics interface board (named the Orc Board) was designed and manufactured for the Maslab staff and is an evolved version from previous year's competitions. The Orc Board has many advanced features including:
- USB (11Mbps) connectivity to host computer
- Four high current (>1A continuous), bi-directional motor drivers, each with a dedicated enable, and current sensing capability.
- Four channels of quadrature phase decoders
- A total of 24 I/O pins:
- 16 A/D ports, each with 12 bit hardware resolution (13 bit in differential mode). Support programmable low-pass filters for higher resolution.
- 24 digital ports, dynamically switchable between input and output
- 8 Futaba-style servo controllers (full 16 bit PWM). 3 of these support current-sense.
- Up to 12 SRF04-style ultrasound rangers (only one can fire at once)
- Four 400kbps I2C expansion ports. Orcboard can be used as a host-to-I2C bridge.
- Designed to support in-system battery recharging using inexpensive, standard 12V lead-acid batteries.
- Supports single power supply (one battery for both motors and logic)
- Supports input voltages from 10V-24V. Has internal 5A, high efficiency 5V switching power supply.
- Fully reprogrammable, customizable, open-source firmware using GNU toolchain.
- Extensive expansion capability: I2C and SPI bus, ATMega128 processor and Altera FLEX 6000 FPGA can be reprogrammed to support different applications. The OrcBoard can be expanded to include a 32KB SRAM and a 256KB FLASH.
The OrcPad is a detachable accessory for the OrcBoard which provides human interface elements including buttons, a joystick, and a graphical 128x64 pixel display. The OrcPad was also designed and manufactured by the Maslab staff. The OrcPad features include:
- 128x64 monochrome graphical LCD with backlight
- 2-axis analog joystick
- Three push buttons, including an "Emergency Stop"
- Fully reprogrammable, customizable, open-source firmware using GNU toolchain
You can find documentation, firmware, and a community forum at the official orc board website: http://www.orcboard.org
Sensors and Actuators
In addition to the color camera, students can choose a number of other sensors and actuators. Some of the available sensors include short and long range infrared range finders, ultrasonic sonar rangefinders, break-beam sensors, and numerous types of switches. Actuators include servo motors, gearhead motors, solenoids, chain drives, and more.
Students are allowed to obtain other sensors and actuators which they think will be helpful, subject to approval by the staff and a $100 spending limit. A team might try to use a digital compass to enhance their navigation system, for example, or purchase a more powerful servo motor to construct a large robotic arm.
Programming Environment
This year's robots will run Debian GNU/Linux. Students will work in Java and the Maslab staff will provide the following software:
- A hardware interface library to access the many featuers of the Orc Board.
- An image processing library for camera control, image storage, and basic image manipulation.
- A flexible telemetry package that allows students to view sensor data, images, maps, and any other program output remotely in real time.
Student are allowed and encouraged to modify and improve any of our software. We provide it to accelerate the design process and free students to work on the more interesting parts, like control systems, signal processing, and AI.
Construction Materials
A variety of construction materials and tools are available for students, including polycarbonate, wood, bolts, screws, casters, etc. Students are free to use any construction material they desire, and many take advantage of this: some robots have machined aluminum cases, or ABS plastic cases cut on a laser cutter.
While the staff tries to maintain an adequate stock of basic building materials, students are expected to locate and acquire additional materials and parts. Maslab also maintains a modest set of construction tools, but some teams will want to use their own tools.
Students are encouraged to take classes at the student shop or the Edgerton shop before Maslab begins so that they will have access to those facilities.