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DESCRIPTION
Business Aspect Intended for use in warehouses as a subsystem of automated storage (AS) and retrieval systems (RS) Appeals to AS/RS developers for use in easily expandable retrieval systems Costs $41,600 includes the product and labor for the on-site setup of the network of checkpoints
Citation preview
RFID Automated Navigation of a Mobile Platform
Tommy Brant, Charles Harper, Patrick Smith, Eni Ofong, Caleb Howell
Georgia Institute of TechnologySchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering
December 8, 2008
Project Overview• The Mobile Platform (MP) is a robot-based
system that uses an embedded system and RFID tags to communicate wirelessly with a remote GUI to navigate itself to a final destination
• Prototype Dimensions:– 5” x 5” x 5”
Business Aspect
• Intended for use in warehouses as a subsystem of automated storage (AS) and retrieval systems (RS)
• Appeals to AS/RS developers for use in easily expandable retrieval systems
• Costs $41,600 includes the product and labor for the on-site setup of the network of checkpoints
Project Goals• Wireless communication between the GUI and the robot
control systems• RFID tagged areas to identify the location of the robot• Motor control to travel on a point to point basis• Overall objective is for the MP to arrive at the user-
determined destination by following the shortest path through a network of RFID checkpoints
RFID Automated MP
Design Approach
• Program components separately to ensure the correct output
• Once desired outputs are achieved, attach hardware components together and modify code if needed for components to communicate properly
RFID MP System
System Logic
Is at RFID?
No
Yes
Transmit via serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix Verdex
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot Movement
Determine Direction
Is at RFID?
No
Yes
Transmit via serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix Verdex
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot Movement
Wireless Transmission
Is at RFID?
No
Yes
Transmit via serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix Verdex
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot Movement
Network Card
Is at RFID?
No
Yes
Transmit via serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix Verdex
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot Movement
Motherboard
Is at RFID?
No
Yes
Transmit via serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix Verdex
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot Movement
Update Direction
Is at RFID?
No
Yes
Transmit via serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix Verdex
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot Movement
Movement
Is at RFID?
No
Yes
Transmit via serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix Verdex
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot Movement
RFID Search LoopTransmit via
serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix console-vx
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot MovementIs at RFID?
No
Yes
(Delay)
Checkpoint
Is at RFID?
No
Yes
Transmit via serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix console-vx
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot Movement
Back To Network Card
Is at RFID?
No
Yes
Transmit via serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix console-vx
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot Movement
Return Info.
Is at RFID?
No
Yes
Transmit via serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix Verdex
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot Movement
Wait for Next Action
Is at RFID?
No
Yes
Transmit via serial
CPU decides direction for
robot
Gumstix console-vx
Gumstix Verdex
Stop robot
Transmit via serial
Gumstix console-vx
Turn robot in needed
direction
Robot Movement
Current Problems
• While cross-compiling, Linux OS crashed– More control in Linux– Can modify system files easily– Also destroyed easily
• Unable to integrate and test components• Due to the delay in receiving parts,
unforeseen problems with cross-compiling C-code, and OS crash, we are significantly behind schedule
Potential Problems
• Proper communication between different hardware components
• Straight-line travel• Developing algorithms for shortest path• Power supply to the robot components• Heat dissipation from the Gumstix
modules
Project Schedule Re-cap
Task Duration Start Date End Date Milestone?Assigned Member
Troubleshoot Robot Movement
36 days 8-Oct 12-Nov N BRANT/OFONG, then GROUP
Troubleshoot RFID Readings 42 days 8-Oct 18-Nov N HARPER, then GROUP
Troubleshoot Serial/WiFi Communication Path
28 days 22-Oct 18-Nov N SMITH/HOWELL, then GROUP
Integrate/Troubleshoot Gumstix
21 days 18-Nov 7-Dec Y GROUP
Prepare Final Demo/Presentation
7 days 1-Dec 7-Dec Y GROUP
Cost Analysis
Working Components
Peripheral components are individually working properly
– RFID reader recognizes RFIDs and writes tag ID to file
– Motor controller properly receives input from RFID reader
Current Status
• Operating system is operable• Cross-compilation success• OS, source code, phidgets libraries on
Gumstix but execution results in error• With more time, troubleshooting problems
could be accomplished and produce working prototype
In Hindsight• Proposed project required more time than was
available– Parts delayed– Cross-compilation toolchain setup caused multiple
crashes• Cross-compilation could have been design
project in itself• Still feasible tasks given more time• With more funds, better equipment could have
been acquired
