11/01/21 - Weekly Report 9

Plans for next week:

• Develop relay to allow Microcontroller to interface with RC car components

• Test the RC car's signal generation and operation with standard remote control

• Start testing the ordered RC car with a Microcontroller and code

Group Meeting memo:

• Discussed feed back on presentation given the week prior with Dr. Asghari.

• Set individual goals, in terms of deliverables, for the end of this semester.

Project Progress:

Jordyn:

• Began working with Eagle software for PCB implementation

• Did research on previous CAN Bus PCB projects

• Next week I will begin working on the design for the CAN bus and PCB board. And set up meeting with members of group from last year (Smart Car I).

Quinn:

• Reevaluated the requirements for point to point navigation taking into account the comments from the EE department on our Presentation to them the week prior.

• Completed research as to what parts would be required for the point to point navigation system.

• Submitted updated Bill of Materials to Dr.Asghari

• Next week I will discuss with Dr.Asghari the viability of getting the PiCar-X kit specifically for it's Gray Scale and Camera Module, which are not available separately.

Jacob:

• Worked on the achievable goals for the project and determined that I should be able to use the sensors to come close to other objects and stop just before the object. I will try and get as far as I can in the algorithm

• This week I worked on setting up the basis of the hardware. I set up an Arduino with an ultrasonic sensor and tested the basic tutorial with some added features such as a servo. The servo acted as the steering servo that would control the movement of the car. We will need to start implementing the hardware on the car so the microcontrollers can maneuver the car.

DJ:

• Determined that the Adaptive Cruise Control deliverable for the Fall semester will be to have the vehicle stop at three distances based on the speed of the car. This is basically a re-do of last year's Anti-Collision.

• Examined the C Code used in last year's Anti-Collision feature from the LMU Smart EV Initiative to understand what it does.

• Completed a tutorial for interfacing the TFMini LiDAR module with an Arduino. The tutorial can be found at: https://how2electronics.com/how-to-use-tfmini-s-lidar-distance-sensor-with-arduino/#Source_CodeProgram_with_Library

• Used the TFMini LiDAR to take distance readings between it and the surrounding environment. Doing the tutorial helped in understanding how to interface a TFMini LiDAR with an Arduino. This was vital because the microcontroller used for the Adaptive Cruise Control feature will be an Arduino.

• Photos of the code, distance readings, and the circuit setup can be found below.

• The plan for next week is to determine the other two speed presets and their corresponding stopping distances. Also, the writing of the Adaptive Cruise Control code will begin. The code will be tailored towards the deliverable for the fall semester. It will have the user pick a speed, and have the car forward and stop when an object is detected from a certain distance.