micromouse fyp report

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This report summarizes the senior design as used in the developing of a Micromouse to enter in the IEEE

Student Activities Conference Micromouse Competition. It walks through the primary research, major

design choices, part selection, prototype development, system integration, and design testing

completed over the academic year.

This project would not have been possible without the help of several individuals who we wish to thank

access to their previous work in the competition. We would be remiss not to recognize assistance,

supplies, and instruction provided by Mr. Brad Hummel. Your help was indispensible and greatly

appreciated. And finally, a thank you goes to our families, friends, and employers who have supported

us through the process and endured our absences and distraction over the past nine months.

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Summary: ...................................................................................................................................................... 1

Acknowledgements:...................................................................................................................................... 1

List of Figures: ............................................................................................................................................... 3

Realistic Constraints: ................................................................................................................................... 11

Alternative Solutions: .................................................................................................................................. 12

Design Solution: .......................................................................................................................................... 15

Design Integration: ...................................................................................................................................... 21

Design Verification: ..................................................................................................................................... 26

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Figure 1: Flooding Algorithm Diagram

Figure 2: The shortest path before knowledge of walls in the cell above the mouse

Figure 3: The shortest path after knowledge of the walls in the cell

...................................................... 7

Figure 4: The Egg Torte Micromouse

...................................................................................................... 10

Figure 8: System Block Diagram .................................................................................................................. 16

Figure 9: Flood Fill Algorithm 1 – Before a new value update .................................................................... 20

Figure 10: Flood Fill Algorithm 2 – After new value update ....................................................................... 20

Figure 11: Differing Voltage - RPM Relationships of Motors ...................................................................... 21

Figure 12: Master - Slave Motor Control Scheme....................................................................................... 23

Figure 13: Infrared output voltage vs distance ........................................................................................... 24

Figure 14: Side facing sensors are greater than 3cm from mouse’s edges ................................................ 24

Figure 15: Normal vs. inverted mounted sensor readings ......................................................................... 26

Figure 16: Sensor field of view is skewed to transmitter side .................................................................... 26

Figure 17: Yaw error correction .................................................................................................................. 27

Table 5: Component Overview - Microcontroller ....................................................................................... 17

Table 6: Component Overview - Motor Shield ........................................................................................... 17

Table 7: Component Overview – Motors .................................................................................................... 18

Table 8: Component Overview - Encoders ................................................................................................. 18

Table 9: Component Overview – Infrared Sensors ..................................................................................... 19

Table 10: Component Overview - Battery .................................................................................................. 19

Table 11: Final Micromouse Cost Breakdown ............................................................................................ 30

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The IEEE Micromouse Competition is an event where students design and build robots to autonomously

solve a maze. The maze is a 16 x 16 block of cells, each cell measuring 18 x 18 cm. The walls of the maze

are 5 cm high and 1.2 cm thick. The robots in the competition may use various sensors to find the most

efficient path to the center of the maze in the shortest amount of time possible. The winner of the

The robot will meet the specifications of the competition and follow all of its rules. It will use various

sensors to detect the maze, utilize a dynamic programming algorithm to find the most efficient path

through the maze, and will propel itself through this path to the end of the maze. A major focus of the

design will be making the robot as fast as possible, giving it the best odds of placing first in the

competition.

The following is a summary of the official rules for the 2013 IEEE Student Activities Conference

Micromouse Competition. The mouse was designed, constructed, and tested in compliance with these

rules.

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 The maze consists of 16 x 16 unit squares

 Each unit square is 18 cm square

 Maze walls are 5cm high and 1.2 cm thick

 The outside wall encloses the entire maze