GPS Enabled Semi-Autonomous Robot

Abstract

The primary objective of this research is to integrate GPS and local sensory data to allow a robot to operate semi-autonomously outside of a laboratory environment. The Pioneer 3-AT, a robust platform capable of operating in the outdoors, is utilized in this thesis. The P3-AT has acoustic sensors that can calculate distances to obstacles and encoders that calculate how much each wheel has turned. In a laboratory environment, sensory and encoder information can be used to triangulate position or measure distance and direction traveled from a known starting point. Operating outdoors limits the effectiveness of both systems as the obstacles are not known and wheels can often slip and slide on different surfaces. This necessitates external data to determine the location of the robot. GPS was chosen to provide that data. GPS, acoustic, and encoder data were integrated within MATLAB and provided control signals to the robot. The robot successfully navigated to a user-defined goal.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2017
Accession Number
AD1046793

Entities

People

  • Connor F. Bench

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy
  • Sensors
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Detectors
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Collision Avoidance
  • Computer Programming
  • Computers
  • Control Systems
  • Coordinate Systems
  • Data Processing
  • Dead Reckoning
  • Detectors
  • Global Positioning Systems
  • Grids
  • Guidance
  • Measurement
  • Motion Planning
  • Navigation
  • United States Naval Academy

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Robotics and Automation.

Technology Areas

  • AI & ML
  • AI & ML - Autonomous Systems
  • Autonomy
  • Space
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers