Designing and Development of Autonomous Mobile Robot - CE 1.1 Project

This project report details the design and development of an autonomous mobile robot for rail track inspection, focusing on the early identification of rail separation to prevent derailments. The robot utilizes a PIC16F877A microcontroller, IR sensors for input/output signal capture, and DC gear motors. The project's objectives include designing, building, and testing the robot to identify cracks and missing bolts. The student's responsibilities included designing and connecting the IR-based sensor system, designing the GSM system for SMS alerts, and programming the PIC microcontroller using PIC Basic Pro Language. The report also discusses the project's distinctive activities, including the use of aluminum and Plexiglas for the robot's base, the circuit design using EAGLE software, and the integration of various components like the motor driver (L298) and buzzer. The robot system's operation involves the IR sensors sending signals about the rail condition, the motor driver receiving commands from the PIC, and the motors responding accordingly. The project utilized Express PCB software for the circuit board layout, and careful consideration was given to component placement to minimize trace lengths.

Career Episode 1

CE 1.1: Project Introduction
Name of the Project : Designing and Development of Autonomous Mobile Robot
Geographical Location : Please Fill
Project Duration : Please Fill
Organization : Please Fill
Position in the Project : Project Member
CE 1.2: Project Background
CE 1.2.1: Characteristics of the Project
This particular project has been designed and developed of a autonomous robot that can travel of
train roads for tracking in order to identify the crack or missing bolts in the train line. The idea of
this project was generated from the early identification of rail separation that can be prevent from
the number of dangerous events including train derailment. To design this project, we have used
several components such as Programmable Interface Controller (PIC) modeled PIC 16F877A
that has 40 pins, Apart from that, for inputs and output signal capture, IR sensor was also used,
Furthermore, we used DC Gear Motor in this project. We also used the PIC basic pro software in
this project.
CE 1.2.2: Objectives Developed for the Project
Following are the key objectives in this project that we considered for construction and design of
autonomous robot –
i) To design, build, and test an autonomous mobile robot, which travels on the railroad
tracks, and will identify missing bolt or crack at the joint.
ii) To design autonomous mobile robot.
iii) To design a mobile robot with IR technology

CE 1.2.3: My Area of Work
This project has two different scope to successfully design, build and observe the function of the
mobile robot and how the IR sensor is taking part the railroad inspection purposes. I was
assigned as a project member in this project. I always working with my group member and
completed the project successfully design. Based on my knowledge and skills, project manager
assigned me the designing and connecting the IR based sensor for the sending signal in both
input and output. I was also involve in designing the GSM system that send SMS in suitable way
to the operator. I have also the strong knowledge in PIC software that allowed me in dealing the
programming in PIC Basic Pro Language for the used PIC microcontroller.
CE 1.2.4: Project Group
CE 1.2.5: My Responsibilities in the Project
 Preparation of budget for Management approval, Preparation of L2 Schedule, Creation of
project,
Project Engineer
Project Member Project Member

 Floating enquires, Vendor finalization, price negotiation, co-ordination to procurement,
vendor follow up, preparation of Monthly progress report for client submission, project
related site management, erection& commissioning, invoicing.
o Test the signal range of the designed transmitter.
o Prepare the documentation of project
o Communicate to supervisor
o Searching information from open sources
o Prepare presentation of the project
 Submit the project to head of the department
CE 1.3: Distinctive Activity
CE 1.3.1: Comprehending the Theory of the Project
Aluminum and Plexiglas (acrylic) was utilized to develop the robot base which bolsters
instruments and circuits to recognize jolt slackening circuits. IR innovation and PC programming
in MICRO C were utilized to restrict and examine the area of the imperfections, utilizing a
uniquely fabricated robot framework; the independent robot can precisely recognize jolt
extricating. The most regularly utilized cross-level sensors are strong bars associating the left and
the second rails. The bars are around 59 inches long, which can scarcely be fit into the storage
compartment of the auto. In this manner, the vast majority convey a measuring tape rather than
the gage, and overlook the cross level measuring. The forward, extremely reduced (handheld)
coordinated gadget that incorporates laser gage, cross-level, and microchip has been produced by
Ensco. Another arrangement of this sort was produced by go vision, inc[bac95] but then another
comparable framework was made for the Moscow metro [RPS99] .the test for this class of
frameworks is to section out the anticipated laser line from the picture, since the sunlight scene
light is substantially brighter than safe-to-utilize. Low power semiconductor lasers regardless of
the possibility that cameras are outfitted with narrowband pass channels of 10nm width or less,
working at laser recurrence.

CE 1.3.2: Designing and Implementation of the Project
The Institute of Digital Image Processing (IDIP) in Austria has built up a machine vision
framework for rail surface assessment amid the rail fabricating process. Right now, rail
assessment is completed by investigation work force and supplemented with whirlpool current
frameworks. The target of this machine vision framework is to supplant visual reviews on rail
generation lines. The machine vision framework utilizes an unearthly picture differencing
technique (SIDP) to produce three dimensional (3D) pictures and distinguish surface
imperfections in the rails. Moreover, the Institute of Intelligent Systems for Automation (ISSIA)
in Italy has been looking into and building up a framework for recognizing rail crease. The
framework utilizes pictures with 512x2048 pixels in determination, counterfeit light, and
characterization of surface to recognize surface imperfections. The framework is fit for procuring
pictures at paces of up to 125 mph (200 kph). Three picture preparing techniques have been
proposed and assessed by IISA: Gabor, wavelet, and Gabor wavelet. Gabor was chosen as the
favored preparing method. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
has been attempting to build up a successful strategy for observing the extricating of the shot
joints (switch point poles). Free jolts were found as one of the fundamental driver of split
development in the shot joints. The ISSIA has additionally been building up a framework
equipped for remaking 3 dimensional (3D) surfaces of the stabilizer area. The FRA and ENSCO
started advancement of a machine vision-based joint bar review framework. Aluminum is a
bottomless metallic concoction component which is broadly utilized all through the world for an
extensive variety of items. The component has a nuclear number of 13, and it is related to the
image Al on the occasional table of components.
CE 1.3.3: Accomplishment and Task Performed
Aluminum is not as strong as steel, and rarely as cheap. It is useful because aluminum has a
much higher strength to weight ratio. This means that for a mass of aluminum and an equal mass
of steel, aluminum would be much stronger. For the sake of that the mechanical or hardware part
I chose to build from aluminum in order to avoid the part to be heavy so during the task the robot
motion will not be effected by the weight of the parts , therefore the aluminum was cut into 2
main parts. The circuit was drawn using EAGLE 6.3.0 SOFTWARE program. It contains

PIC16F877A that connected to crystal oscillator 4MHZ. 2 dc gear motors connected by motor
driver to the microcontroller to PORTB F0, F1, F2 and f3. Buzzer is connected to port D F1 to
sound a beep every time the PIC send pulses after receiving the feedback form the sensors; led
indicator for board on power is connected to port A F0. PortA F1 is connected to the comparator
to read the logic of the IR sensor detection. PortC 6 is connected to the input of the MAX232
which is port 10. PortC7 is connected to MAX232 output pin 9. Then MAX232 is connected to
DB9 female connecter. By applying the different designing methods ,for the different parts of the
robot it was enabled to operate and perform the inspection function for the rail ,hence as shown
in main components figure()block diagram the IR sensors ,the controller and the driver are the
essential elements of the project ,several testing tasks were as well used to check every
part ,before the final step which is assembling all together and running the last checking and
testing .
CE 1.4: Project Summary
CE 1.4.1: Project Overview
The developed robot system comprises two dc gear motors, which is controlled through the
feedback signal of the infrared sensors, hence by the time the sensors send the signal carrying
information about the rail condition, the motor driver (L298) will get the command order from
the PIC microcontroller in a binary form ,and the motors will follow the instruction given the
driver ,therefore if there is error on the rail during the inspection the motors will stop and buzzer
will sound ,while another signal will pass through the converter MAX232 from the controller in
order to translate and convert the signal in a way that the GSM will comprehend in order to send
the SMS to the operator regarding the detected error ,so that the position of the error will be
found, in that to reset the robot to continue the inspection cycle is needed ,and it’ll keep
searching unless the rail is in good condition which the robot will smoothly pass through it with
no feedback message.
CE 1.4.2: Conducting the Project to Meet its Requirement
The product decided for influencing the Circuit To board Layout of the schematics of this work
is "Express PCB". Use of PCB (Printed Circuit Board) planning programming, for example,
Express PCB limits the game plan of parts and the testing also should be possible by this product

before the circuit is acknowledged on the board. When outlining the PCB format watchful idea
was given while setting segments to limit follow lengths.