Mission 1 Report

Rolling Chassis Requirements

Result: PASSED

The rolling chassis must successfully complete two consecutive runs to meet the requirements.

Task 1: Square Pattern Navigation

• The rover must drive in an approximately 10-foot square pattern.
• Upon completion, it should stop at its original location and place a marker.
• The marker should be within 3 feet of the rover’s original starting position.
• The mission should be completed within 60 seconds.

Task 2: Straight-Line Distance Navigation

• The rover must drive straight for a specified distance between 15 and 30 feet.
• It must place a physical marker at the designated stopping point.
• The exact intended distance will be transmitted from an RF transmitter beacon at the starting location.
• The marker placement must be within ±10% of the specified drive distance.
• The task must be completed in under 30 seconds.

RF Distance Transmission

• The distance to drive will be transmitted as a 12-character message.
• The format consists of the distance as two digits, preceded by an 'X', with the remaining characters padded with 'Z'.
• For example, a message instructing the rover to travel 15 feet would be: X15ZZZZZZZZZ.
• The intended distance will be continuously transmitted from the RF beacon at 5-second intervals.

Hardware Documentation

• Arduino Mega 2560 - ATmega2560 @ 16 MHz, 5V logic for central control
• Adafruit Motor Shield V1 - L293D H-bridge driver, up to 4 DC motors
• 33GB-520 DC Gear Motor (12V DC rated, 170-350 RPM no-load speed, 100mA no-load current, 5mm shaft diameter, 100g weight)
• Plastic bearing wheels - M4 mount screws, 50x35mm footprint
• Plastic driving sprockets - 54x5mm diameter (including teeth), 31.5mm height, 5mm coupling bore
• 5V 4A LiPo battery pack to power motors and electronics
• 433 MHz RF transceiver module for receiving distance commands
• SG90 micro-servo (1.8kg·cm, 180°) for payload deployment

Potential Improvements for Mission 2

• Fine‑tune turning capabilities • Calibrate turn durations (or use encoder feedback) to ensure precise 90° rotations and reduce drift in the 6×6 ft arena.
• Integrate ultrasonic distance sensors • Leverage the HC‑SR04 readings to perform proactive obstacle detection and smoother avoidance without collisions.
• Integrate compass module for heading capabilities • Use the QMC5883L to maintain a stable reference heading during both enclosed‑area navigation and waypoint pursuit.

Mission 1 Full Code

Click Here to Download Mission 1 Code.