Project 2 Measuring a box

Due: Tuesday Octover 19th (paper due the following Tuesday.)


In the previous project you implemented a simple feedback controller that reacted to the current sensor input and corrected its action based on that. In this project you will have to further integrate sensor data and motor actions and will have to integrate some basic hisory and memory in your robot as well as integrating sensor data with motor actions over time.


This is a modification of a lab from Rowan University. In this lab your robot will measure a cardboard box. You will use an XBC microcontroller and a lego body to do the lab. Your robot will have to sense the box and measure how far is has traveled when it believes that it has gone beyond the end of the box.


Each group has the standard robot kit in the lab. The bin contains:

If you are missing something, you need to let me know ASAP - don't go scavenging. I'll be gone to a conference next week so you need to find what you are missing this week.

Two cardboard boxes are also at the back of the lab for you to practice on. A new box will be used for demonstrations at the end of the month.

Lab Availability:

As previously mentioned, the lab is available anytime that the Moakley open access lab is open except for during a class.

Your Task:

Your task is to build and program a robot that can do one or both of the following tasks. Note that the first task can give you a maximum grade of 89 (B+) if done perfectly, while the second , harder task can  get you a full 100% if done perfectly. However if not done well, both projects can earn you much lower grades. It is better to get the first task working well and then start working on the second task rather than just starting on the second task and not getting it working very well.

  1. Task 1:  Your robot must calculate the volume of the box, having been given the depth and the height of the box by the instructor, with your robot measuring the width of the box. You must have a way of entering the depth and height information into the robot. You can assume that the depth and height that you will be given as integers, however you should make no such assumptions for the width that the robot measures. (it should be a floating point value) All measurements will be in centimeters. When your robot has traversed and measured the width of the box, it should display the volume of the box on its display.

  2. Task2: Your robot must calculate the volume of the box, having been given the height of the box by the instructor, with your robot measuring the width and depth of the box. As above, you need a way of entering the integer height of the box into the robot. Your robots measurements of the width and depth are to be done as floating point values though. Again measurement will be in centimeters. When your robot is done measuring , it needs to print out the volume of the box that is has calculated.


Have fun:

Have fun with it and I look forward to seeing your projects.

The Project report
