Differential Drive Mobile Robot

Introduction

The goal of this project was to create a low cost replacement for the popular E-Puck robot that was better suited to the needs of the current research projects here at Northwestern. The project also entailed developing a control library that would allow future users to easily interface with the robot and integrate it into their research. Specifically, the robot was to meet the following criteria:

Mechanical Goals:

 -Be of a similar size to the E-Puck
 -Be significantly less expensive than the E-Puck
 -Use stepper motors
 -Be easy to manufacture
 -Have an approximate run time of 1 hour

Software Goals:

 -Use the NU32 board for control logic
 -Support wireless communication
 -Develop a control library that can easily be included in a users code
 -Allow the user to specify a velocity vector for the robot to follow
 -Allow the user to specify the robot's position, (x,y,theta), in a global frame
 -Allow the user to directly control the robot's wheel speeds

Mechanical

CAD drawings and description

Electrical

circuit diagram and description

Graphical User Interface

picture and description

Future Work

suggested improvements

Team

This project was created by John (Jake) Ware and Jarvis Shultz. Both are mechanical engineering PhD students at Northwestern University.

Contact: "Jarvis Schultz" <jarvisschultz2012@u.northwestern.edu> "John Ware" <johnware2015@u.northwestern.edu>