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Design and development of a modular Autonomous Mobile Robot Print E-mail

The Mechatronics Research Unit (MRU) intends to widen its competence in Autonomous Mobile Robotics (AMR). Senror, actor and control systems shall be tested and evaluated. Therefore a modular AMR-Platform is designed and developed.

 

MRU-AMR requirements

In order to meet the needs of software functional partitioning the AMR has to fulfill the requirements followed:
  • The system shall allow the modular combination of sensors and actors.
  • The electronics shall be housed in module-boxes, grouped by its functionality.
  • The computing shall be distributed to multiple scaleable digital signal controllers (DSC).
  • The DSCs shall beNetworked.
  • A PC shall be connected useing WLAn & RS-232

Conception

The AMR is seperated in module-groups which are divided in modules.
The Software is divided into multiple controller-modules (dsPIC30F4012). The controller-modules are networked via CAN-Bus.
Thus the control-structure can be distributed to multiple controllers.
A PC can be integrated useing a WLAN-module or RS-232. Currently the PC is used for AMR- control and data analysis.
In the current development state the AMR contains a module-group for AMR monitoring and a group for motor control.

The module-group moitoring shall protect the AMR against major failure cases.
Therefore following sensors and actors are integrated:
  • Battery-corrent measurement
  • Battery-voltage measurement
  • Measurement of 4 external analog sensors (optimized for NTC-Temperatue sensors)
  • Control of 2 12V-Relais to shut down the drive unit.
  • Control of 5 additional Open-Drain-Outputs

The module-group motorcontrol shall control the motorspeed of both motors.
Its functional range includes:
  • Motor-current measurment
  • Motor-voltage measurement
  • Motor-speed measurement
  • Motor-activation (H-Bridge driver)

A generic DSC-program can be used as a point of origin for further projects. It is generating the DSC-system-time. It provides the data-protocoll and the structures needed.

 

Prospect

Based on this work further module-groups can be developed. Module-groups containing a sensor-module, a electronic-module for data preparation and a controller-module connected to the CAN-Bus are suggested.
The data-ptotocol specification can be enlarged to meet furter application needs, like  navigation distributed to multiple controller-modules.
Data analysis of broadband sensor (e.g. cameras) can be performed useing a PC. Via WLAN the PC-generated data can be supplied to the controller-modules.
In the beginning of the development phase, with the PC connected to the AMR, Control-programs can be designed and executed on PC. Thus the designer is given maximum debug functionality on the program, speeding up the design process. In the later development state the program is applied to a controller-module eleiminating the need of a PC.
 
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