Chao Li

Kobuki Robot

In my Programming System Design on a Mobile Robot Platform class during the summerof my first year, I worked in a team of two on various interesting projects with the Kobuki robot. The class was composed of only projects so for the whole semester, my partner and I worked extensively in Python to make the robot do cool things.

Project 1 was called Sennott Square Rover. My partner and I were required to be able to SSH to the robot a single command or a series of commands for movement (ie. Forward 2 meters, Right 90°, ...). We had to account for wheel slippage by creating an algorithm that would gradually accelerate the robot for any distance input. We also had to create a "remote control" for the robot. Through a SSH connection we would be able to fluidly move and turn the robot.

In Project 2, Soccer Kick and Line Runner, the task was to use the webcam of the laptop mounted on the robot to follow a colored line on the ground and to make sure that during a sharp turn, the robot would not go off of the line.This required designing a PID controller for the robot turns that was calibrated correctly. Then, the robot had to scan the environment through the webcam for a red ball and then an pink goal. Using only three linear movements, the robot had to kick the ball into the goal. This project required figuring complex similar triangles to cover all cases of the ball and the goal's location. The ball and goal could be placed anywhere in relation to robot and in order to successfuly execute the kick, our algorithm had to be robust enough to cover all edge cases.

Project 2.5 was called Color Follower and it incorporated a Microsoft Kinect. The robot was to follow a person around the building automatically using only colored construction paper on cardboard. Using the Kinect, the robot recognized the color pattern on the cardboard and also the distance to the person to decide whether to move forward, backward, or turn and how fast. This time we used the same PID turn controller, but also had to implement a PID controller for velocity.

Project 3 was called Balloon Catcher and it was a pretty simple project as there was not much time left in the summer. Essentially, the robot was to rotate until it saw a balloon being help up in the air in its periphery. Using the Microsoft Kinect, we were able to determine the distance between the Kobuki robot and the balloon. Once the balloon began to fall the Kobuki quickly calculated the distance needed to catch the balloon using Pythagorean Theorem and would quickly move and catch the balloon.