Servo - July 2009

GEERHEAD

Software

Teams had a variety of programming languages to choose from. Drag and Drop for NXT was available for students who were less experienced with programming. NQC (Not Quite C programming), Microsoft Robotics Studio, NI LabVIEW (National Instruments), and Lejos (a form of Java) were among the languages permitted.

Actually, the students were free to use any programming language that was readily available to all team members, provided it was available at no cost.

Rose-Hulman Adds

Robotics Certificate Program

Two students working with their Create robots at Rose-Hulman.

Then they would switch. The students could not alter their robot configurations at the half. “They could potentially put a different program on the robot’s computer, if they could do it without connecting the laptop,” stated Professor Voltmer.

The students could also take shots at the goal from different angles. Certain angled shots offered more points if the robot scored.

Robotic Strategies

One of the robots — from the participating JABA Solutions team — had a rotating gate. “The high speed rotating gate cleared the goal area several times per second.“ They were not allowed to block the goal without completely clearing it every five seconds so that the opposing team had the potential to score,” said Professor Voltmer.

Their gate rotated like a fan, so it cleared the goal many times per second. It was very rare that a ball got past this robot. “Defense won the competition,” noted Professor Voltmer, pointing out that the teams that designed their robots primarily for defense performed the best.

The JABA Solutions team programmed their robot so the gate would rotate at maximum speed; gears connected to a motor controlled the gate.

The Paranoid Android team used a similar strategy. They created a gate (a surface area built something like a fence) that the robot raised and lowered speedily in a pseudo random kind of way, according to Professor Voltmer. “The competitor could not tell when the gate would be going up or coming down.”

The students converted the robot’s motor to create pseudo linear motion. The motor worked a plunger that mobilized the gate.

12 SERVO 07.2009

A robotics certificate program has now been adopted that enables students to demonstrate work performed together in a multidisciplinary fashion on a robotics platform. Freshmen in the robotics programming course have already taken a step towards receiving the certificate.

Another course that counts toward the certificate — Mechatronics — is required during the junior or senior year. Students only need to complete five other courses during their four years at Rose-Hulman to garner the certificate.

The list of courses includes: mobile robotics, robotics engineering, software development, circuit design and analysis, kinematics, sensors, controls, computer vision, and artificial intelligence.

“The exact courses the students are required to take for the certificate depend on the track the student chooses, according to selected majors and interests, like Mechanical Engineering with Programming, for example,” explained Professor Matt Boutell.

Conclusion

While Rose-Hulman doesn’t offer a degree in just robotics per se at this time, prospective students can expect to significantly increase their familiarity with robotics and related disciplines while completing their education in a selected engineering program. SV