LanDroid: An Android-Based, Wi-Fi Operated Robot

Matt Reineman, Chris Teters, Dave Bosley University of Kansas

AbstractBringing the software world of Android apps together with the hardware world of VEX Robotics is not without design challenges. KeywordsVEX, Cortex, Protobot, Android, LAN, Wi-Fi, autonomous. wireless access point, to an android device to operate the robot. To achieve this we will be following a benchmark based development pattern. These benchmarks are separated by times dedicated to testing. Our schedule is broken down as follows: Robot assembly and basic platform testing

I.

INTRODUCTION

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Assemble VEX frame Mount wheels and drive system Mount main control board Get Wi-Fi working Basic mobility code Field testing, to ensure stable design [1] On-Board autonomous setup and testing

asked with constructing a mobile robot, we have extended our requirements to include Android control and autonomous movement. We settled on the robot's name LanDroid due to its hinting at land driving, Android control, a local-area network (or LAN), and the mobile-robot synonym droid.

II.

GOAL

The primary goal of this project is to achieve an integration between an Android device and a VEX Cortexcontrolled robot. We want to be able to have direct control of a Cortex platform robot, with the ability to drive it like a normal radio controlled robot, or provide simple commands to have a minimal autonomous experience. The objective is to create a mechanical device that one can connect to and interact with while still in the Android user experience. For the autonomy, we would like the robot to be able to have some navigational elements. These would be behavioral based interactions with the world to achieve simple object avoidance. We want a robot that you can provide simple instructions to, similar to procedural instructions, while also providing direct control. The goal is to achieve the connection between the Android device and the robot without needing a dedicated wireless access point, simply creating a direct connection between the robot and the device. If this is not possible, we want to be able to create this connection using an external wireless access point (WAP) in the form of a laptop providing an ad-hoc network, or a router preset to provide a bridge between the two devices.

1. 2. 3.

Add bumper sensors, compass, and other sensors to aid in autonomous action Simple autonomous sensor tests Field testing, to ensure stable design Android app creation

1. 2. 3. 4.

Build an app that can provide inputs for motion control Simulate this interaction on a computer, by testing each input against an output printed to screen Integrate with the robot Field testing, to ensure stable design

This is an iterative approach that we believe will ensure that at each stage of testing, we will have a functioning robot that achieves a major goal. We believe that this approach will ensure that we both have a solid robot at the time of project delivery while also ensuring that we do not over extend ourselves in attempting to do too much, as we will have to check our progress against our benchmarks. The robot is being built from a basic VEX platform. This gives us flexibility in design of the robot without having to worry about fabricating a large number of additional parts. With the VEX kit we can easily get a functioning robot built and controlled via radio controls, which allows us to focus on the more difficult aspects of this project, which will be 1

III.

METHODOLOGY

For this project, we will be building a basic platform out of a VEX Protobot robotics kit which will be linked via a

the development of the Android app and the integration of the Android device and the Vex micro-controller.

Robot Our mobile robot, named LanDroid, will be due on Thursday, December 8. It will be submitted in a functioning state.

IV.

ARCHITECTURE
Robot hardware

VI.

BUDGET

Our mobile robot is constructed using commercial offthe-shelf (COTS) components available from VEX Robotics. Cortex Microcontroller The Cortex Microcontroller is built around an ARM Microprocessor running at 90 million instructions per second (MIPS), together with 384 KB of flash memory. For I/O, the Cortex features 10 motor ports, 12 general-purpose digital ports, 8 analog ports, 2 UART serial ports, and an I2C port. Unlike the cheaper PIC-based VEX microcontroller, the Cortex features a USB port for both programming and the Wi-Fi link. Android phone We are still debating whether an Android-powered smart phone will need to ride onboard the robot to provide additional sensors (compass, accelerometers, or gyroscopes [2] ) or wireless network capabilities. If used, the Android phone will be borrowed from a group member, and thus not a permanent component on the robot. Android tablet The Android tablet will be borrowed from a group member, and not be a permanent accessory to the robot.

Allotted funds The initial allowed budget, as funded by the class, is $150 (USD) per person. Being a group of three, our allocation is $450. Expansion of the budget is plausible for funding highend features, at the discretion of the professor. Some loose VEX parts will be provided by the professor, and do not count against the group's budget. Additionally, PCBs can be milled by the EECS Shop on the third floor of Eaton Hall at no cost to the group. Expenditures We started with a VEX Protobot Starter Bundle, which ran $370. We enhanced the Cortex with Wi-Fi capabilities utilizing the VEX USB Key at $40. Because the Android phone and tablet will be borrowed, they do not subtract from our budget. This brings our total expenditures to about $410.

VII.

CONCLUSIONS

While this project is yet to conclude, we believe our progress is on schedule for a successful robotic result at the end of the fall semester.

VIII.
[1] [2]

REFERENCES

V.

DELIVERABLES
Project report

Roland Siegwart, Illah Nourbakhsh, Davide Scaramuzza. Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots, Second Edition, pp. 13-423. Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2011. Arvin Agah. Mobile Robotics, EECS 747 Lectures (http:// people.ku.edu/~agah/courses.html), 2011.

The project report is the first group deliverable, and is due on Tuesday, October 18. Content is subject to change as the project evolves. Presentation We will give a 15-minute presentation to the class on Tuesday, November 22. It will be organized and informative. Rehearsal is recommended. Poster The poster is to describe and illustrate the project. It is due on Thursday, December 8.

IX.

BIOGRAPHIES

Matt Reineman was born in Lawrence, Kansas, United States in 1986. He received his B.S. degree in computer engineering from the University of Kansas in 2009. Currently, he is studying toward his M.S. degree in electrical engineering at the University of Kansas. His interests include power systems, telemetry, and electric vehicles. Chris Teters was born in Kansas City, Kansas, United States in 1990. His team won the Greater Kansas City Regional FIRST robotics competition in 2008. Currently, he is studying toward his B.S. degree in computer science at the University of Kansas. His interests include human-computer 2

interaction, assembly language, and formal languages. Dave Bosley was born in Moon, Pennsylvania, United States in 1988. His team won the Midwest Regional FIRST

robotics competition in 2006. Currently, he is studying toward his B.S. degree in computer science at the University of Kansas. His interests include video-game development and web development.