Test Maze Videos

Test Maze Set Up

Final Configuration of the Robot

We finally decided that this will be the final configuration of the robot. We found that this configuration seems to work the best and our maze solving robot works.

Progress Report for 02-27-08

As of 02-27-08, Tony has the NXT robot and working on programming it over the 3 day weekend. I'm going to start building a simple maze out of cardboard to test out the robot with. We're probably going to meet up tuesday or sometime this week to work and test the robot.

Some Idea Mazes

These are some mazes I thought of...
We might use one, some or none of these mazes.
Click on the images to enlarge it!

Maze 1

Maze 2

Maze 3 & 4

Maze 5

Behavior Table

Click Picture to Enlarge!

Finite State Automata (FSA)

Click on image to enlarge it!

Behavior Based System

Objective: Mario(Lego Mindstorm NXT robot) will navigate through a dungeon(maze made out of cardboard) and try to find and rescue princess peach from the evil browser(solve the maze).

Step 1: Describe the task

• Robot will be solving a maze
• It will wonder through the maze until it gets to the goal by following the set of rules described in step 4
  

Step 2: Describe the robot

• The robot is a Lego Mindstorm NXT, latest version
• The robot will use the Ultrasonic Sensor, so it can see the wall
• The robot will use 2 Servo Motors(wheels) to navigate through the maze
• The robot will use the touch sensor to know that it hit the wall
  

Step 3: Describe the environment

• The environment of the robot is 100% inside a maze
• There will be multiple unique mazes for the robot to solve
• The mazes will be made out of cardboard
• The mazes will be flat surfaces with no obstacles for it to avoid
• The mazes are big enough for robot to navigate through
  
• Exact layout and size of maze is not known in advance

Step 4: Robots actions in response to environment

• The robot will start at the starting position of the maze and wander the maze
  
• The robot will move straight until it sense that there is no wall to the right of it
• It will turn right and continue going straight until it senses that there isn't a wall to the right of it, then turn right again
  
• It will continue doing the above rules until it reaches the goal or hits the wall in front of it
  
• If it goes straight and hits the wall in front of it before sensing a wall to the right of it, it will back up and turn left
• It will continue doing the above rules until it reaches the goal
  

Finished Installing Drivers and Softwares

I followed all the steps in the tutorial

and was able to install and run Java on the LEGO Mindstorm NXT and create the Hello World! program.

Finished Building the Robot! =]

Took me a few hours to build the robot and test it out. It was easy but long. Manual was straight forward and easy to follow. Everything seems to be working fine, no defects found. After building the robot, ended up lots of extra parts.

Next steps:

1. Research and download needed softwares, drivers, etc.
   
2. Design the mazes
3. Discuss more about the project with group
   

Pictures of the completed Mindstorm Robot

Robot In A Maze

CS 521 Robotics, Winter 08', Dr. Tang

Lego Project: Robot in a maze: help the robot find the gold and save the princess.
Robot: Lego Mindstorms NXT, http://mindstorms.lego.com/Overview/
Team Members: Jefferson Hirk, Jolly Mangesh, Tony Diaz


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Week 1 - Objectives

Received the robot - Lego Mindstorms NXT on 01/23/08
Added Tony and Jeff as authors.

Phase 1:

- configure the robot with all the installation software
- design the .png file for the maze.