Design Challenge 1Drive train solution

Model Landmine Detecting Robot

Design: Clif Reeder Website: Emil Stefanov Presentation: Mohit Agrawal College Student Advisor: Kyle Ryan High School Teacher Advisor: Mr. Steve Florence

The Landmine Threat

There are 40-120 million landmines worldwide today Landmines injure/kill about 10,000 every year Landmines are long-term killers, active long after a war is over Landmines are indiscriminate in their killing of people

Threat-contd
Landmines wreak massive humanitarian problems Through the Ottawa Treaty and other measures, less mines are being laid Ottawa Treaty: signatories agree to stop using antipersonnel landmines (the most common mine)

The flames represent landmine casualties. The shaded nations have signed/approved the Ottawa Treaty.

Yearly reports documenting the landmine problem worldwide

Challenge of Demining
Deminers face monumental task in clearing landmines Most common method to find landmines is by metal detector Dogs, bees, and rats can also find landmines People will have to go in and still remove the landmine by hand with a prod Process is fraught with dangers and long-term viable demining methods are needed

Hand prodding is very dangerous

Detectors are notoriously inaccurate

RSL Challenge
Robots Save Lives (RSL) Challenge:
Design, test, and build landmine detection robot Criteria:
1. Low Cost 2. Autonomous 3. Easily Serviced and Maintained 4. Reuse parts from FIRST kit

Design Challenge #1
Develop a drive train solution around a Fisher Price electric motor/gearbox Create a robot blueprint based off drive train solution:
1. Low weight 2. Responds to obstacles 3. Operates on rough terrain

Theorize possible sensor/electronic systems for robot

Available Parts
The Fisher Price motors and their gearboxes are designed for remote controlled cars for children The free speed of this motor is around 24,000 RPM Gearboxes reduce RPM to about 126 This gives a final ratio of 190:1

Fisher Price Motors

top Gearboxes from kit

bottom

7.5

Other Parts
1. 5/8th keyed aluminum shaft to fit in gearbox 2. Adapter to hold the shaft in 3. Plates to attach drive train to assembly 4. Frame made of 20mm extruded aluminum

Other Parts-contd
5. 12 pneumatic wheels from 2004 Kit of Parts 6. #35 Nylon chain 7. Lexan for protecting/sheathing robot 8. Electronic/sensor system to run robot and detect landmines

Drive Train
The drive train will be able to produce x torque or y watts The 5/8th keyed aluminum shaft will extend from the gearbox to the ball bearings A specially CAD-ed adapter (hub) will stabilize the shaft These ball bearings will connect to the sprockets

Drive Train-contd
These sprockets rotate the chain which drive a pair of wheels on each side of the tank Connected to ball bearing and sprocket 14 tooth nylon sprockets all around
No additional reduction

Body Design
Body of extruded aluminum is:
light manageable maneuverable

The design has the wheels extending beyond the assembly This will allow the robot to flip around and change course upon running into a large obstacle The curved Lexan is a safety precaution to protect the assembly and to ensure that while flipping over, no obstruction gets in its way

Electronics and Sensors

One speed controller for each dive assembly One robot controller to run the autonomous programming Sensor: Metal detectors or similar derivatives are very inaccurate Sensor: Millimeter Wave Emission Detector is a more ideal sensor for this robot. The sensor will be mounted downward upon a weighted axis that rights its direction after the robot flips
MMW Radiometers

Electronics-contd
Built in GPS:
built into the robot for a sense of control allows robot to record its movements Allows for a human controller to tell the robot what areas to cover

All collected data will be stored in a hard drive The laptop will download and analyze the information Modular design for easy maintenance

Manufacturing
Easy to make in most factory/lab settings Outsourced parts will be put together under a short term contract Will need a long term contract for replacement parts

Maintenance
Tires are easy to replace Standard parts available from many manufactures Simple to maintain/fix on site once parts arrive Electric system is modular and can be easily maintained

Cost
Initial Building costs
16 foot extrusion of aluminum: $50 12 (5/8 ball bearings) times $23.77 = $285.24 Nylon chain: $102 Sprockets: $86 Lexan: $10 5/8 keyed shaft: $35 3 foot angled aluminum: $20 Rectangular support bar: $23 24 keyed stock: $3 Motors, gearboxes, and wheels from Kit of Parts Total: $600 to $650 (without electronics)

Costs-contd
Maintenance costs
Due to replacement parts
Because replacement parts are standardized, costs should be high

Analysis of funds available

Costs can be lowered by changing sensor type to metal detector

Weight
Total Weight
22 pounds without electric parts Light enough not to set off the mines

Comparison to Army
Unofficial Army motto: Bigger is better.
Prototype robot to sense landmines weighed more than 200 lbs Accuracy was questionable

WBI 461 Deminer: Simple is success.

Light, maneuverable, versatile New sensor technologies have lower price and better accuracy

Drawbacks
Moisture may be a problem Clearance is low Laptop may not be widely available in foreign nations The small market may incur high manufacturing costs Large tires are needed to ensure stability There may not be enough power to flip robot over However, most issues would be caused by problems with the sensor

Future Improvements
Lighter plastic-based frame Better sensor technology Better strategy to deal with large obstacles Wider wheels Easier usability such that private persons can map their own land

WBI 461 Commitment

West Side Boilerinvasion Team #461, WBI 461, is committed to helping its community and the populace at large WBI 461 is aware of the great problems landmines are today The preceding presentation was WBI 461s attempt at relieving the problems due to landmines

Top View

Front View

Left View

Perspective View

Adapter Perspective View

Ball Bearing and Wheel

Adapter Perspective View

MMW Radiometers
http://maic.jmu.edu/dtif/Conferences/Monterey/Macpherson.pdf

Soil and metal respond very differently to the high frequency of millimeter waves. Soil has a high emissivity and low reflectivity . . . metal has a low emissivity and strong reflectivityle. Using a millimeter wave radiometer, in the frequency range of 30 to 300 GHz, this contrast could be measured. Studies have been conducted on plastic mines as well, which have lower reflectivity. The detector had to use lower frequencies; however, it was successful. MMW radiometers are simpler devices than GPR [and] they should suffer less from clutter problems.