Robot Contruction and Testing WorkshopDecember 11, 2016

http://neptune.fulton.ad.asu.edu/VIPLE/

VIPUnity Simulator

Web Simulator

Lego EV3Galileo Robot ASU Edison Robot

pcDuinoRobot

Minnow and Curie Robot

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pcDuino Robot Construction and TestingExercise 1: Robot Construction

In this laboratory, we will construct pcDuino-based robot using the given robot kit. A video is assembling the robot is available at: https://www. youtube .com/watch?v=2mjQVTMJZtc

The photos of the assembled robot in different angles are given in Figure 1.

pcDuino Robot assembly and testing 2

Figure 1. Photos of the pcDuino robot

Exercise 2: Configuring and Testing Sensors and Motors of the Robot

In the VIPLE program, we need to identify each sensor and each servo (motor) through device configuration, which includes the main Robot, each sensor and each motor. Figure 7 shows the VIPLE code for testing the different type of sensors connected to a robot.

When you drag the Robot service into the Main Diagram, you will choose the connection type. The available types are: Wi-Fi, WebSocket Sever, and Bluetooth. For pcDuino robots, we use Wi-Fi.

First, we will configure the Robot service as shown in Figure 6:

Figure 6. Configure the mina robot

Next, we will add the sensors and motors and configure them. In order for the main robot, the sensors, and the motors to communicate with VIPLE properly, we need to configure the partnership between the main robot and its devices, the IP address (physical or virtual), and the ports. For the pcDuino robots that we use in the course, the configuration is shown in Figure 7.

pcDuino Robot assembly and testing 3

Figure 7. Configure the ports of the distance sensors and the motors

The data needed are summarized as follows:

TCP Port: 8124

IP Address: 10.0.0.1

Partner: My Robot 0

Left Wheel: 0

Right Wheel: 1

Distance Sensor 0 (front): 0

Distance Sensor 1 (side): 1

For connecting your computer to the robot, the robot is implemented as a hotspot router, You can connect to it using:

Hotspot name: pcDuino-xxxx (the last four digital on your robot)

Password: 12345678

Now, we can write a simple program to read the sensor values. Figure 8 shows the VIPLE code for testing the sensors that could be connected to a robot. In our pcDuino robot, we use distance sensors only.

pcDuino Robot assembly and testing 4

Figure 8. VIPLE code testing different sensors

Next, we can write a simple program to control the robot by keyboard. Figure 9 shows the VIPLE code for testing the motors connected to a robot.

You can add “space” key to stop the robot by giving 0 power to both wheels.

Figure 9. VIPLE code testing motors

Now, you will use your programs written for the Unity Simulator as the basis to implement different maze navigation algorithms.

pcDuino Robot assembly and testing 5