Design And Fabrication Of A Semi Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle For Space Exploration And Military Surveillance

ABSTRACT

Nowadays with major advancements  in the field of vehicle automation, several dangerous  and crucial counter terrorist operations are being handled by sophisticated  machines  which are not only more efficient but are also responsible for saving several human lives such vehicle is “unmanned ground vehicle”. An Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) is a vehicle operating in contact with the ground, carrying equipment or materials and supplies, without human presence on board.

Our project “Unmanned Ground Vehicle” is built to undertake missions like border patrol, surveillance and in active combat both as a standalone unit (automatic) as well as in co- ordination with human soldiers (manual). It is a  prototype illustrating the ever expanding  need for sophisticated technology and precision driven vehicles catering to the present day needs for a first line of defense. A person from a remote place can comfortably control the motion of the robot wirelessly and in situations where manual control is not prudent, the vehicle is capable of reaching the pre-programmed destination on its own.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

• PROBLEM STATEMENT
• AIM OF THE PROJECT
• OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
• FEATURES OF THE PROJECT
• SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT
• APPLICATION OF THE PROJECT
• LIMITATIONS OF THE PROJECT
• PROJECT ORGANISATION
• BENEFIT OF THE PROJECT
• PROJECT ORGANISATION

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• REVIEW OF THE STUDY
• REVIEW OF RELATED WORK
• CURRENT MILITARY SYSTEMS
• REVIEW OF FIRE ALARM DESIGN
• REVIEW OF COMMERCIAL CIVILIAN SYSTEMS AND AUTONOMOUS FEATURES IN CARS
• DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS OF UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE
• REVIEW OF DIFFERENT MILITARY ROBOT
• CATEGORIES OF UGV
• UGV MODE OF OPERATION

CHAPTER THREE

3.0     METHODOLOGY

3.1      BLOCK DIAGRAM OF THE SYSTEM

3.2      BLOCK DIAGRAM EXPLANATION

3.3      SYSTEM OPERATION AND DESCRIPTION

3.4      SYSTEM CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

3.5      SYSTEM HARDWARE

3.6      SYSTEM FLOW CHART

3.7      DESCRIPTION OF MAJOR COMPONENT USED

3.8      PROGRAM CODE

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0     TESTING AND RESULTS

• CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE
• CASING
• ASSEMBLING OF SECTIONS
• PACKAGING
• TESTING OF SYSTEM OPERATION
• RESULT ANALYSIS

CHAPTER FIVE

• SUMMARY
• CONCLUSION
• RECOMMENDATION
• REFERENCES

APPENDIX

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION

An unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is a military robot used to augment the soldier’s capability. This type of robot is generally capable of operating outdoors and over a wide variety of terrain, functioning in place of humans. UGVs have counterparts in aerial warfare (unmanned aerial vehicle) and naval warfare (remotely operated underwater vehicles). Unmanned robotics is actively being developed for both civilian and military use to perform dull, dirty, and dangerous activities.

There are different categories of an unmanned ground vehicle but in this work we are focusing on a semi autonomous unmanned ground vehicle. A robot may also be able to learn autonomously. Autonomous learning includes the ability to:

1. Learn or gain new capabilities without outside
2. Adjust strategies based on the

• Adapt to surroundings without outside

Autonomous robots still require regular maintenance, as with all machines. However, the aim of this work is to build an Autonomous type of military robot for space exploration and military surveillance.

1.1                                         BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

The current state of research and the continuous improvement of technologies related to the operation of unmanned vehicles, have made possible the development and operational use of such vehicles for military use, operating either on the ground, in the air or at sea and even underwater. An Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) is a vehicle operating in contact with the ground, carrying equipment or materials and supplies, without human presence on board. The word “robot” was coined almost one century ago. The concept of robotics has also a long history of several decades. However, the concept and development of UGVs and their relationship with robotics is a relatively recent development, although recorded examples of such vehicles can be traced back to the ’30s, when a Japanese officer, Capt. Nagayama, managed to operate a remote-controlled small armored tracked vehicle. UGV development continued through WWII and accelerated during the Cold War.

Nevertheless, the first major effort to develop a UGV and the first appearance in its modern form, took place in late ’60s, with the creation of Shakey the robot. Shakey was created in the research department of Stanford University by the division of artificial intelligence of DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). This was a wheeled vehicle equipped with a moving TV camera, an ultrasonic range finder and contact sensors, linked with RF link to the main computer, which performed navigation and exploration ([2]).What advantages does a UGV offer in the modern battlefield and what functions can be performed? A UGV can be an excellent moving platform carrying sensors that perform surveillance, target detection and identification. A UGV can operate in an environment that is particularly risky or even lethal for personnel, performing tasks such as enemy identification within residential areas, minefields neutralization or explosives disposal. It can also perform combat support missions such as the transfer of soldiers’ personal equipment, medical evacuation, supplies and ammunition transportation. The scope of the proposed vehicle development is the surveillance of military installations. UGVs provide enhanced surveillance capabilities, minimizing the numbers of security guards and the exposure of personnel to any hazard.

1.2                                                  PROBLEM STATEMENT

Some of the most prominent problems facing the world today are Terrorism and Insurgency. Governments and scientists across the globe are working day and night in order to bring these problems under control. This research (semi autonomous unmanned ground vehicle for space exploration and military surveillance) was carried out by researchers to bring this problem to a reduced level. Billions of dollars are spent by nations for the research of new defense systems which are capable of safeguarding citizens from terrorist threats. This device has the ability to move into the camp of terrorist, it can avoid obstacles and move around it, takes picture of the environment and also send a video live view of the environment to the operator via computer or GSM using GPS.

1.3                                                   AIM OF THE PROJECT

The aim of the project is to design an Autonomous robot car. This project will produce utility for the user to remotely monitor enemy activities and environment, the destructed buildings and such places where it is hard for a human being to make a view point. After making a view point which is sent to the operator screen via GPS then action can be taken accordingly.

1.4                                            OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

At the end of this work, student involved shall be able to design a military robotic car that has the ability of:

1. Tuning of wireless video camera
2. Wireless transmission of video and control instructions

• Remotely control the direction and position of the robot and perform the specific action.

1. Detect obstacle and avoid it using ultrasonic sensors for best detection.

1.5                                             FEATURES OF THE PROJECT

1. Can capture the hidden areas.
2. Send video and data captured to the server wirelessly.

• Easy control by a computer Wireless media.

1. Mobile in all directions with miniature size.
2. Can take appropriate action when needed.

1.6                                                 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

This work is on “semi autonomous unmanned ground vehicle for space exploration and military surveillance”. This device is used for enemy camp monitoring and capturing. This defense system of ours has two units- one is the control unit (to control mobility) and the other is the motion tracking unit. Both these units have two modes- Automatic and Manual. This robot would be armed with an automatic weapon mounted onto a turret and a remote operator would be getting a live video feed from the camera to help him manually control both the above mentioned units of the vehicle. The vehicle is also capable of automatically tracking movement of objects in its range of vision.

The manual modes of the vehicle are controlled by a human operator and live video is fed back to the base station. The vehicle will follow the movement of a joystick or a mouse. There is an additional ARMCON controller which helps the soldier on war field to control the vehicle using wireless modem.

In the automatic mode, the vehicle uses Image Processing techniques to track motion. The vehicle has GPS navigation and commands to navigate can be given wirelessly. Additionally, infrared sensors aid in obstacle detection and path mapping.

There is one onboard computer, which receives command from command center control and issues commands to the onboard microcontroller for controlling the stepper motors, servo motors, wireless data reception, GPS navigation, and obstacle detection.  The command center control computer allows the remote user to see the direct video stream and control the various features of the UGV, using a GUI.

1.7                                         SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

Semi autonomous unmanned ground vehicle is used to monitor enemy activities and environment, such places where it is hard for a human being to make a view point. With this device number of military personnel that would be killed will reduce in that the enemy will first been captured live with the device camera before they are been attacked. This system also has the ability to detect obstacle and move around it and continue its movement.

UGVs have been used extensively for space exploration- exploring planets like Mars and Saturn. Similarly, regarding dangers of human exposure to pesticides; UGVs can be used to replace humans in pesticide. Its application as the World Health Organization reports that greatest exposure to highly hazardous pesticides is for agricultural and public health workers during handling, dilution, mixing and application

1.8                                             APPLICATIONS OF PROJECT

Typical applications of the project includes:

1. RECONNAISSANCE- Also known as Scouting, is the military term for performing a preliminary survey, especially an exploratory military survey, to gain or collect information.
2. BOMB DISPOSAL- Used in defusing and deactivating Explosives as a result of which an added feature a robotic arm can be
3. SEARCH AND RESCUE-In times of Natural calamities or man based disasters, it proves to be a reliable machine to locate people or objects with ease where it renders human effort
4. BORDER PATROL AND SURVEILLANCE- In times of military warfare or border encroachment, it is used to monitor alien force entering into the
5. ACTIVE COMBAT SITUATIONS- Widely used on the battlefield, UGVs equipped with Explosives, Weaponry and shields have proven to be handy expendables assets without the cost of human life
6. STEALTH COMBAT OPERATIONS- Spying purpose without coming into the radar of the enemy is effective in war strategies.
7. NEW EXPLORATIONS – Deep cave searches, underwater explorations and the currently executing Mars and outer planets exploration can be
8. Mining purpose.
9. Wireless security and surveillance in hot spots
10. Search and rescue operation
11. Maneuvering in hazardous environment
12. Home security

1.9                                          LIMITATIONS OF THE PROJECT

1. Ultrasonic sensors used on board for obstacle avoidance are extremely directional; it works inefficiently in sunlight and fails to detect black
2. Current capacities of the batteries i.e. (Li-PO and Ni-Cd). These batteries can power up the system only for a particular duration defined by their current capacities, elapsing which the batteries would drain out leaving the system
3. It is required for the system to have high data rates of 3G internet services for the communication between the base station and UGV. Failure in providing such high data rates would lead to inefficient processing and thus an unreliable
4. It is required that the computers that are used on board and the one used in the base station need to have high computational capabilities and high processing
5. GPS used on board to get the current location of the UGV will not lock onto a value unless and until there is direct line of sight between the UGV and at least 4
6. The UGV is 4WD with about 130mm wheel diameter
7. Able to carry up to 6kg load
8. Also can be controlled remotely.

1.10                                                      PROJECT ORGANIZATION

The work is organized as follows: chapter one discuses the introductory part of the work,   chapter two presents the literature review of the study,  chapter three describes the methods applied,  chapter four discusses the results of the work, chapter five summarizes the research outcomes and the recommendations.