Straight Line Movement

Objective:

Ensure the rover maintains a consistent travel direction.

Test Procedure:

1. Fully charge the rover's battery and ensure the motor controller is functioning properly.

2. Place the rover on a level test track.

3. Run program to move the rover forward for 3 seconds.

4. Conduct five test runs, recording distace at multiple checkpoints (e.g., every 1 foot).

5. Repeat the test on different terrain types such as concrete, grass, and sand.

Pass/Fail Criteria:

1. The rover’s speed must remain within 2-5 inches of deviation from the straight line for at least 80% of the test duration.

2. Any deviation exceeding 5 inches from the specified reference line is a failure.

3. If the rover exceeds or falls beyond the deviation limit for more than one trial, modifications must be made to the motor control system before retesting.

Recorded Data:

Run #	Terrain	Checkpoint (1 ft)	Checkpoint (2 ft)	Checkpoint (3 ft)	Max Deviation (in)	Pass/Fail	Notes
1	Concrete	4.5 in	5.2 in	6.0 in	6.0	FAIL	Initial setup
2	Concrete	3.8 in	4.5 in	5.1 in	5.1	FAIL	Tightened tread tensions
3	Concrete	2.9 in	3.4 in	3.8 in	3.8	PASS	Adjusted wheel alignment
4	Concrete	2.2 in	2.5 in	2.7 in	2.7	PASS	Fine-tuned heading control
5	Concrete	1.8 in	1.9 in	2.0 in	2.0	PASS	Meets target

Consistent RF Communication

Objective:

Verify the rover maintains ≥ 95% command‐delivery success over a series of control commands (forward, backward, right, left).

Test Procedure:

1. Place rover 5 ft from the RF beacon on level ground.

2. Send commands at 433 MHz in this fixed sequence: forward, backward, right, left.

3. Repeat until each direction command has been sent 5 times for a total of 20 times per test run.

4. Repeat for five independent runs.

Pass/Fail Criteria:

1. ≥ 95% of total commands must be acknowledged in each run.

2. Any run < 95% is a “FAIL” and requires RF tuning before retest.

Recorded Data:

Run #	Forward Sent	Backward Sent	Right Sent	Left Sent	Ack’d	Success Rate (%)	Pass/Fail
1	5	5	5	5	19	95.0	PASS
2	5	5	5	5	19	95.0	PASS
3	5	5	5	5	17	85.0	FAIL
4	5	5	5	5	18	90.0	PASS
5	5	5	5	5	19	95.0	PASS

Radio Range (20 ft)

Objective:

Verify that the rover can maintain stable communication with the RF transmitter up to a distance of 20 feet.

Test Procedure:

1. Place the RF transmitter at a fixed location in an open area with minimal signal interference.

2. Move the rover away from the transmitter in 5 ft increments while monitoring signal integrity.

3. Record the maximum distance (in feet) at which communication is still reliable.

4. Repeat in different environments (open field, urban, obstructed, indoor, etc.).

Pass/Fail Criteria:

1. The rover must maintain uninterrupted communication at 20 feet.

2. If link is lost before 20 feet in more than two tests, upgrade antenna or amplifier is required.

Recorded Data:

Test #	Environment	Max Range Achieved (ft)	Maintained at 20 ft?	Outcome
1	Open Field	25	Yes	PASS
2	Urban (buildings)	22	Yes	PASS
3	Obstructed (trees)	18	No	FAIL
4	Indoor (hallway)	20	Yes	PASS
5	Urban (vehicles)	20	Yes	PASS

Payload Drop Mechanism

Objective:

Ensure the rover successfully deploys the payload at a designated location.

Test Procedure:

1. Load the rover with a 1.5” × 1.5” × 1.5” wooden block (simulated payload).

2. Command the rover to navigate to a predefined drop zone.

3. Activate the servo‑driven swing arm to push the block out the back; record landing position.

4. Repeat the process 10 times under different terrain conditions.

Pass/Fail Criteria:

1. The payload must land within 1 foot of the designated drop zone in at least 9 out of 10 attempts.

2. Failure to release the payload or excessive deviation indicates adjustment is required.

Run #	Terrain	Offset (ft)	Within ±1 ft?	Outcome
1	Smooth Concrete	0.5	Yes	PASS
2	Sand	1.4	No	FAIL
3	Packed Dirt	0.9	Yes	PASS
4	Grass Turf	1.2	No	FAIL
5	Gravel Road	0.3	Yes	PASS

Turn Accuracy (90° Left/Right Rotations)

Objective:

Verify the rover can reliably execute precise 90° in‑place rotations both left and right.

Test Procedure:

1. Place the rover on a level test surface, aligned to a visible reference line.

2. For each Direction (Left, Right):

  a. Command an in‑place 90° turn.

  b. After completion, measure the actual angle change with a protractor

  d. Realign to the reference and repeat for a total of 5 runs per direction.

Pass/Fail Criteria:

1. Error ≤ ±10° for at least 4 out of 5 runs in each direction.

2. If more than one run per direction exceeds 10°, the turn control algorithm must be adjusted.

Recorded Data:

Run #	Direction	Commanded (°)	Measured (°)	Error (°)	Outcome
1	Left	90	102	12	FAIL
2	Left	90	80	10	FAIL
3	Left	90	96	6	PASS
4	Left	90	89	1	PASS
5	Left	90	91	1	PASS
1	Right	90	105	15	FAIL
2	Right	90	88	2	PASS
3	Right	90	95	5	PASS
4	Right	90	97	7	PASS
5	Right	90	90	0	PASS

Obstacle Avoidance

Objective:

Ensure the rover avoids obstacles and maintains a safe clearance distance of at least 1 inch.

Test Procedure:

1. Set up a test course with static obstacles of different sizes and materials (e.g., walls, poles, rocks).

2. Command the rover to navigate through the course while logging its proximity to each obstacle.

3. Use a laser rangefinder or ultrasonic sensors to measure the closest distance the rover approaches an obstacle.

4. Introduce moving obstacles to test dynamic avoidance responses.

Pass/Fail Criteria:

1. The rover must never come within 1 inch of an obstacle in at least 9 out of 10 test runs.

2. If the rover contacts an obstacle or violates the clearance threshold, adjustments must be made to the avoidance algorithm.