tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89838674295060673932024-03-08T16:51:26.729-05:00SMU Robotics ClubAustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14484499891728463219noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-75981992225746240222008-08-07T09:30:00.004-05:002008-08-07T09:41:11.172-05:00And in the end...We got 14th! Which, let's face it, is not as good as last year, when we got 11th. Nor is it as good as we were hoping we'd do with our fancy hydrophones. But hey, it was quite the ride. Read more in this excerpt from the Dallas Morning News story about us:<br /><a href="http://smu.edu/newsinfo/excerpts/robotics-club-dmn-5aug2008.asp">http://smu.edu/newsinfo/excerpts/robotics-club-dmn-5aug2008.asp</a>.<br /><br />We were estatic, however, that our friends at the University of Texas at Dallas ended up getting 2nd place. (And they only got 2nd place because they did <em>exactly </em>what the 1st place team did just a little slower.) Go UTD!<br /><br />It's sad to know that we won't get another shot at the competition, since almost all of our team members are graduating. Many of the other teams encouraged us by saying, "Oh don't worry, you'll get it to work next year for sure." When we informed them that we wouldn't be returning, though, they had a new idea: "Well in that case...can we have your robot?"<br /><br />She may have had a few bugs, but one thing's for sure. Seahorse III was and is the sexiest 'bot around.<br /><br />If you've been following this blog, please leave a comment to tell the guys of the Robotics Club--once last time--just how they rock!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-18586785751488003632008-08-03T10:40:00.002-05:002008-08-03T10:50:46.494-05:00SaturdayStatic judging on Friday left us in 14th place, so we got 14th choice of competition times on Saturday. We competed at 10:30 am, which put a time crunch on our preparations. Nevertheless, the guys prepared Friday night, got an early practice time (and Chris Pilcher got here at 6:15 am in order to sign up for it! Go Chris!), and then did more tests in the dolphin pool. They worked hard up until the very moment of the competition time, working to get the hydrophone task functioning.<br /><br />Seahorse III drove through the gate easily and then headed straight toward the pinger. It was obvious that the robot was locked on to the pinger correctly, and we all held our breath as it drove closer and closer. About halfway there, though, it suddenly slowed to a stop. Seahorse III rotated back and forth, still seemingly locked on to the pinger, but not moving forward. Unfortunately, then, our time ran out, and it was apparent that we would not be able to move forward to the Finals.<br /><br />Now the pressure is off, and our team is enjoying watching the rest of the competition play out. We've made some friends at other universities, and we'll be cheering them on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-14216261999731556202008-08-01T14:49:00.003-05:002008-08-01T15:17:40.843-05:00Isopropyl Alcohol Fixes EverythingThis competition is starting to feel a bit more intense. Since we were the third team to pre-qualify by driving through the gate yesterday, we got third choice of competition times today. We chose 12 o'clock noon to give ourselves to time to prepare before and after.<br /><br />After some hard decision-making, we decided to eschew the vision events in favor of concentrating on the hydrophones and detecting the pinger. We also decided to toss the floating antenna that attached to our sub with a long, waterproof cable. Instead, we made a last-minute trip to Home Depot for a long, indoor antenna that would attach directly to the sub. It worked like a charm. <br /><br />Thirty minutes before our competition time, we had a moment of panic when the sub's right motor wouldn't turn on (unless you poked it). Also, the sub was leaking just a tad. The guys quickly took the sub apart and discovered that the motor drivers needed to be switched. The leaking was taken care of with a few squirts of isopropyl alcohol and a liberal application of a toothbrush. (Over the course of this competition, I've come to the realization that isopropyl alcohol (IPA) will fix just about anything. Hydrophones not working? Clean the boards with IPA. Motors not working? Clean the boards with IPA. Software error? Re-code and then clean everything with IPA for good measure.)<br /><br />We rushed up to the competition dock at the last possible minute, where Dave, the man in charge, grinned and tapped his watch. "12:14." (We had until 12:15.) However, we were surprised to find out that the rules of the pinger were different than we though. One of two pingers (with two different frequencies) is turned on, and the robot is supposed to find the pinger, no matter which frequency is going. <em>We</em> thought that at the beginning of the run, Dave would reveal the frequency of the pinger. Oops. Unsure that we could complete the hydrophone task under these new conditions, we elected to do only the simplest task of all: driving through the gate. We managed it easily, twice. Of course, only the last run counts towards points.<br /><br />Now the guys are focusing on making the hydrophones work under the new conditions, a task that they believe is entirely possible.<br /><br />Next up on the schedule is a practice run at 2:30 and static judging shortly thereafter. In static judging, the judges will come by the booth and examine our sub while the guys explain the ins and outs of its design and technology. This judging determines who gets first choice of competition times tomorrow, so we're all planning to be at our most charming, witty, and knowledgeable when the judges come by.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-8025445455662426352008-07-31T18:38:00.002-05:002008-07-31T18:42:50.652-05:00It works!It's works and works and works. It drove around the small dolphin pool and was able to locate the pinger. Now the guys are working on color recognition with a red silicon pot holder.<br /><br />In other news, I have acquired team "uniforms" for Friday's competition, as required. They consist of five navy t-shirts of indifferent quality. But they only cost $20!<br /><br />Tonight will almost certainly be spent in the hotel pool with some Chinese takout. It looks to be a long next couple of days (if 14 hour days weren't already enough!).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-90051124456463332742008-07-31T17:58:00.003-05:002008-07-31T18:43:46.253-05:00Minor Setback...Our sub had a leak during a practice run and the electronics compartment was flooded. <heavy><br /><br />But, the guys took everything apart and cleaned all the boards with alcohol and re-soldered a couple things and put it all back together, and now they're about to throw it in the pool to make sure it works. I'm crossing my fingers and knocking on wood.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-76992218081929031832008-07-31T17:48:00.001-05:002008-07-31T17:48:34.625-05:00First Day of CompetitionYesterday was the first day of competition. We arrived at 7:00 am to unload our equipment and set up our booth. Each team has a tent with a couple of tables; these tents circle the perimeter of the TRANSDEC (that’s what the facility is called) and surround the pool. “Pool” isn’t quite an accurate word, though; this thing is closer to a big pond. Our booth is wedged beside the University of Marlyand, which has—lets’ count them—13 team members skittering around. They are busy, busy bees. On our other side is Amador Valley High School Robotics Club. We’re pretty impressed that a bunch of high schoolers are competing alongside undergraduate and graduate students. The kind of skills needed to compete here aren’t exactly taught in the average high school. Kudos to them.<br /><br />We found ourselves making a madcap trip to Home Depot when we suddenly started missing the practice crate that Chris constructed back in Texas. Lots of PVC pipe, orange electrical tape, and one hour later, we had ourselves an orange crate to practice finding and picking up.<br /><br />Down to the nitty-gritty: we recalibrated the PIDs for the depth sensor. This means that in the morning, Seahorse was listing back and forth, fluttering in the water, but once we recalibrated it, it became much more stable. We also acquired the correct color value for the buoy and the safe, and we did acquisition and tracking on those things. (Meaning that we found out the exact color of the buoy and were able to find them in the water.) Lastly we listened for actual pinger data on the real hydrophones and adjusted our robot to the competition frequencies. <br /><br />We had three practice times yesterday. We qualified for the competition on the very first try by driving through an underwater gate. These practices were more than just practice, though. Our performances then determine who gets to choose their competition times first.<br /><br />And that was yesterday. Now let’s see about today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-28397224853851451372008-07-29T19:06:00.005-05:002008-07-29T23:38:49.892-05:00OrientationThis morning was spent at various hardware and supply stores: Home Depot, Harbor Freight, West Marine. This afternoon and evening will be spent making the kill switch work.<br /><br />Orientation involved lots of powerpoint presentations and talking. It took about two hours, but I can sum up the important points pretty quickly:<br /><br /><ul><li>We'll be on a naval base, so we shouldn't do anything illegal or dangerous or stupid, because that would end very badly for us.</li><br /><li>The Navy uses <em>dolphins </em>and <em>sea lions</em> to do stuff and find things! Super cool!</li><br /><li>We were given the password for the wireless internet. Which we need to update our blog.</li><br /><li>They don't yet know what the frequency of the pinger is. Which is really the only thing we wanted to know.<br /></li></ul><p>We went to dinner, where Mike mistook the salmon on our pizza for tomatoes and Amanda attempted to explain the differences between humanism, posthumanism, and postmodernism. The Mai Tai she drank made this all quite difficult.<br /></p><p>In other news, congratulations go out to Mike and his wife, who are expecting a baby this December.</p>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-16996503834511854022008-07-28T20:25:00.003-05:002008-07-29T00:00:23.915-05:00Worldly TravelersNineteen hours is a long time to be in a car. It was an interesting journey, though.<br /><br />Andrew and Nathan argued about how much cheese goes on a Pizza Hut pizza. We ate at Speedy’s Restaurant in Pecos, Texas for lunch yesterday. They had peach cobbler with fresh peaches in it. Mmm. Andrew got pulled over for driving a teensy bit too fast and showed off our robot to the interested patrolman. We discussed everything from the Iraq-Iran war (Nathan's reading <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-War-Civilisation-Conquest-Middle/dp/1400041511">The Great War for Civilization</a></em> by Robert Fisk) to how a man-on-woman-on-tiger threesome might be possible (Amanda's reading <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Life-Times-Witch-West/dp/0060987103">Wicked</a> </em>by Gregory McGuire. Much racier than the musical).<br /><br />And now we're in San Diego, feeling much more relaxed than we did at this time last year. There's really no more work to be done on the robot until we can put it in the pool. Except for the kill switch. I nicely reminded Andrew that leaving the kill switch to the last minute last year resulted in a <a href="http://smurobot.blogspot.com/2007/07/qualified.html">circus-like frenzy</a>.<br /><br />Maybe I can talk everyone into going to the <a href="http://www.sandiegozoo.org/">zoo</a> tomorrow before orientation...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-89700314287740204902008-07-25T22:46:00.002-05:002008-07-25T23:00:22.132-05:00Last minute testingIt's been a long week of 15 hour days. The Robotics Club has taken more meals together this week than most American nuclear families. But, after much testing, our efforts have paid off.<br /><br />Today, Seahorse III drove underwater while maintaining headings and depths and tilts and I'm sure many other important things. Coolest of all, Seahorse was able to drive toward the pinger and stop right on top of it from a dead start facing <em>away</em> from the pinger! Hurrah!<br /><br />Tomorrow we will pack up anything we could possibly need and load it into a rented suburban. Two of us will set off across Texas in that suburban on Sunday (Because putting our baby in cargo? Not an option.), while another two will hop on a plane on Monday. <br /><br />Interesting factoid of the day: Texas is <em>big. </em>We'll start in Dallas and drive halfway to San Diego before we stop for the night. <em>And we'll still be in Texas</em>. El Paso. Is that crazy or what?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-26121060313106110582008-07-08T14:22:00.003-05:002008-07-08T14:33:06.520-05:00The tests continue...Seahorse III underwent leak tests today and passed with flying colors. The main compartment was actually <em>so</em> watertight that a vacuum was created, and the air inside the compartment condensed and got colder! Plus, the lid makes nice squelching noise when taken off, so we're pretty sure that no water is getting in this robot.<br /><br />In other news, Chris has built an apparatus to hold the pinger machine underwater. Most of this apparatus is painted light blue, so that the robot won't be able to differentiate it from the water. This crate is made of PVC pipe and is nearly invisible when it's sitting at the bottom of the pool. This way, the robot can only rely on the sound of the pings sent out by the pinger when it attempts to find it. <br /><br />What the robot <em>will </em>be able to see is the smaller PVC crate, which is painted red and orange. Its distinct colors allow the robot's vision systems to pick it out from its surroundings.<br /><br />The tests continue...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-84331278816938647952008-07-02T22:23:00.001-05:002008-07-02T22:35:27.191-05:00Guess who's looking pretty?<img src="http://www.smurobotics.org/images/seahorse3.jpg" /><br /><br />Seahorse III just got back from <a href="http://www.custompowdercoating.com/">Custom Powder Coating</a> and is sporting a brand new paint job!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-51441862491778019372008-06-29T09:35:00.003-05:002008-06-29T09:58:38.578-05:00Safety YellowThe SMU Robotics Club is in full swing preparing for the <a href="http://www.auvsi.org/competitions/water.cfm">2008 AUVSI Competition</a>. Funding from all our <a href="http://www.smurobotics.org/sponsors.html">wonderful sponsors</a> has allowed us to branch out, try new things, and buy new things.<br /><br />The outer hull has been fabricated but is not yet assembled. At the moment, it's lying in pieces while the good people at <a href="http://www.custompowdercoating.com/">Custom Powder Coating</a> make it shiny and yellow. We picked "safety yellow" for our 'bot; it will make Seahorse III look more related to her sister from last year. (We also like bursting into a well-known <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIjZtgyPhS0">Beatles song</a> from time to time, but that's beside the point.)<br /><br />We're quite proud of the <a href="http://www.smurobotics.org/hydrophones.html">hydrophone system</a> going into this year's AUV. Chris Pilcher, signal-man extraordinaire, has done a fabulous job simulating and designing a robust system. You can check out all the dirty details <a href="http://www.smurobotics.org/hydrophones.html">here</a>. <br /><br />We're also happy about our <a href="http://www.smurobotics.org/">new website</a>. Right now, it mostly contains a detailed description of the hydrophones and our photo albums from last year. Eventually, it will include information about the overall design and the vision, positioning, and high-level control systems.<br /><br />Stay tuned for the first pics of Seahorse III; she'll be looking fancy with her new paint job!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-73242686996238739942007-07-23T13:04:00.000-05:002007-07-23T13:06:21.575-05:00Official StandingsThe official standings from the AUVSI competition can be found here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.auvsi.org/competitions/2007/07finalstandings.cfm">http://www.auvsi.org/competitions/2007/07finalstandings.cfm</a><br /><br />Go SMU!Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14484499891728463219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-55272861290434741762007-07-16T15:12:00.000-05:002007-07-16T15:34:36.252-05:00SuccessI am pleased to report that the SMU Robotics club, after so many setbacks, has managed to place 9th overall in the AUVSI competition. This is absolutely outstanding, and far greater than we had even hoped to achieve. We won two awards last night at the final awards ceremony. The first $500 award was for our successful (albeit last-minute) completion of the optional JAUS challenge. The second $500 award was for "perseverance in the face of adversity," an award we are very proud of. The results of the contest, as of the time of this posting, are not yet up on the website, but will soon be linked from this page as soon as they are up. On behalf of the entire club, I would like to thank all of our supporters. After a hectic week, we are all but too happy to finally be taking a break. We will resume work this fall for next years competition, so stick around for more news from the club this fall. Until then, go Mustangs!Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14484499891728463219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-15933287246629458102007-07-13T20:16:00.000-05:002007-07-14T00:13:19.208-05:00Qualified!!Since we were so desperately in need of a "reed switch"--the exterior kill switch required by the competition--the team spent a good part of last night on a mad hatter shopping trip, driving from store to store in search of the appropriate equipment. This was all made even more fun by stuffing all five of us into Andrew's little station wagon. (Have you met Nathan Huntoon? 6'7'') Apparently not all Wal-Marts are open 24 hours a day, and not all gas stations take credit cards, so our relatively simple mission sent us traveling through three cities and forced us to backtrack more than once. The guys were up until 2 am working hard on the submarine.<br /><br />But, hard work has a tendency to yield positive results, and the team was soon to be rewarded. The reed switch bought at Wal-Mart was a failure--too weak for our purposes--but our friends at the Naval Academy came to the rescue with a spare switch of their own. Both officers and gentlemen, they are.<br /><br />When it came time to do the all-important qualifying run, everything was prepared, and Seahorse 2 passed with flying colors. The diver who monitored the robot's journey through the gate said, "Well that was anti-climatic." No problems, no tricks: just smooth sailing. See for yourself and watch Austin's video of the event.<br /><br />The rest of the day was a bit more laid back as the guys concentrated on the next obstacle: light detection. For those of you in the know, there was a problem with the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) method, but this was solved by switching to the simpler DFT (Discrete Fourier Transform). Once the code was fixed, the guys moved onto building, but not without a few pitfalls. Handy guys that they are, Nathan accidentally sautered his pants leg (that is, dropped melted metal on it) and Austin splattered his hand with epoxy. No pain, no gain, boys.<br /><br />Tomorrow we'll try to qualify for the finals; our runs are scheduled for 9:20 am and 5:00 pm.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-10272522983441765592007-07-12T16:51:00.000-05:002007-07-12T18:07:35.007-05:00Breaking News: English Major Drafted Into SMU Robotics ClubSo about the last place I expected to be right now was sitting at SMU's booth at a robotic submarine competition with a "Competitor" lanyard round my neck. But the Robotics Club summoned me to do my Mustang duty and I gleefully answered the call. We've decided that if anyone asks, I'm supposed to say I designed the light detection circuit (whatever that is). Club member Chris Pilcher was the <em>actual</em> designer, but he sadly could not attend. (Thanks for the cover, Chris!) As a technologically-illiterate English major, I feel like a spy in foreign territory.<br />Unlike soggy Dallas, the competition site in San Diego is temperate, sandy, and boasts a glorious ocean view. People--mostly young men--mill around comparing submarines and having technical conversations that might as well be in a foreign language for all I can understand them. The booth next to ours houses the United States Naval Academy. With their crew cuts and big, fancy robot, they're a little intimidating but very nice. On our other side is the team from San Diego, who have been really friendly and let the guys use their drill press. In fact, most everybody at the competition seems genuinely cooperative: teams borrow and lend each other tools and materials of all kinds. A couple of staff members just dropped by and listened to our wonderful story of theft and recovery; they offered to help us with anything we might need. Overall, it's a great environment to be working in.<br /><br />A new development: the guys have just solved a last minute problem with some good old-fashioned Texas ingenuity. The little propellers on the robot are required to have "shrouds," which are covers that protect the divers in the water from getting their fingers chopped off by spinning propellers. What with the theft and all the hoopla surrounding it, those covers never got produced. In the last hour, these guys cut circles out of a kitchen cutting board and added the bottoms of plastic water bottles. Voila: instant propeller shrouds. The San Diego team looked on with grins. "Way to stick it to the man," one said, applauding the guys' decidely untraditional materials.<br /><br />On a different note, what's the <em>real </em>purpose of an English major on a robotics team? Well, mostly, it was the easiest way to get me on the naval base. My fiancee, Andrew, and I are making San Diego the first stop on a month-long road trip, and I didn't much want to stay at the hotel for four days. But more importantly, I have an essential skill: the ability to write interestingly. I have thus designated myself Official Team Blogger. Austin didn't seem <em>too</em> upset to relinquish his blogging duties; I think he'd rather be writing code.<br /><br />Apparently, the vastly important reed switch--which does something or other--has mysteriously gone missing. The drama never ends. Check back in tomorrow for the first day of actual judging.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-88045482197387774742007-05-23T23:16:00.000-05:002007-05-30T23:20:50.501-05:00Test CompletedThe results from the test are in and it seems we have a slight leaking problem. Fortunately, it was an expected problem with a known solution, so it will be remedied soon. The sub did fine in most tests, including staying upright and achieving neutral buoyancy. Overall, it was a great success. Pictures can be found on the google groups page under the "files" category.Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14484499891728463219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-68358791548032429532007-05-23T14:11:00.000-05:002007-05-23T14:13:44.444-05:00First Underwater TestOur hull has finally been designed and built, and today at 4:00 we will be testing it (sans on-board electronics) at the Dedman Center in its first underwater test. Updates to come after the test is completed.Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14484499891728463219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-50637336380293014242007-03-22T21:20:00.000-06:002007-03-22T21:32:37.714-06:00Hull Design FinalizedJust a few updates from tonight's meeting:<br /><ul><li>The design for the hull of the USV was finalized tonight and will consist of some very carefully sealed PVC pipework.<br /></li><li>We recieved initial funding from the mechanical engineering dept.</li><li>The student senate accepted and chartered our club, making the SMU Robotics Club official.<br /></li><li>We are hoping for a completed hull within a month.</li></ul>That's all for now.Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14484499891728463219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983867429506067393.post-43276393436198575102007-02-26T18:02:00.001-06:002007-02-26T18:11:39.799-06:00First TestToday we conducted our first test on our long trail to the AUV competition. We attached one of our newly purchased bilge pumps to the bottom of a plastic tub, wired it up with a led-acid battery, and let it go in the fountain by the Blanton Building. The platform moved along at quite a clip, and we measured approx. 1 lb. of force coming from the single motor. The test was a success, and it is a great to have something physical to show for all the planning we have conducted.Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14484499891728463219noreply@blogger.com0