MMU Melaka from Multimedia University Melaka
TEAM SUPERVISOR: Lim Chee Siong
TEAM ADVISORS: Lee Gin Chong
Lee Yung Chong
Chua Ming Yam
TEAM MEMBERS: Loh Chun Theng
James Sean Gan Wei Xiong
Lau Shun Ze
Goh Hong Han
Matthew Teng Kit Khinn
Cheong Mei Leng
Lui Poh Wei
Bong Yi Sin
ABSTRACT
This document reports the preparation for ROBOCON Malaysia 2019. Two robots were
built for the competition which are the MR1 and the MR2. The MR1 was designed on a
three-wheels based platform with a small gripper to carry the Gerege as well as a pneumatic-
based pick-and-throw mechanism for the Shagai. The MR2 on the other hand was designed
on a four-legged mechanism with a small gripper to carry the Gerege to Uukhai Zone.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Great Urtuu, the theme game for ROBOCON 2019 requires a team to build two
robots, the MR1 and the MR2. The main task for the MR1 is to travel a distance and deliver
the Gerege to the MR2 at Gobi Urtuu. The MR1 is also required to pick and throw the
Shagai in the Landing Zone to gain points. Unlike the MR1, the MR2 is only allowed to
travel using a four-legged mechanism. It is also required to cross a 10 cm block (Sand Dune)
and a 10 cm height rope (Tussock). In order to complete the whole mission, the MR2 is also
required to climb up a slope and raise up the Gerege at the peak of Uukhai Zone.
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2.0 DETAILED DESIGN
2.1 Messenger Robot 1
Figure 1: Overview of the MR1
Mechanical Structure
Power Source
Picking and
System Controller Moving
Throwing
Mechanism Platform
Pneumatic
Motor Driver Valve
Remote
Control Remote
Interfacing Control
Figure 2: General design layout for Messenger Robot 1
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There are generally four main components in the MR1 as shown in Figure 2. The
first major component is the power supply unit which provides 5 V, 12 V, and 24 V to all
other components in the system. The second component is the system controller which
consists of the DC motor driver, pneumatic valve and the remote-control interface. The third
component is the mechanical structure for the moving platform and the pick-and-throw
mechanism. The final compenent is the remote-control unit, which is to be handled by the
manual operator during the game.
2.1.1 Mechanical Design
The overall mechanical structure of the MR1 is shown in Figure 1. It consists of two
main modules which are picking and throwing mechanisms as well as a moving platform.
The dimension of the MR1 is 0.97 m (L) x 0.67 m (W) x 0.80 m (H) with a mass of 17 kg.
It has a payload capacity of 5 kg. In terms of degree of freedom (DOF), the moving platform
has two translational DOFs (x-axis and y-axis) and one rotational DOF (yaw-axis) whereas
picking and throwing mechanism has two translational DOFs (x-axis and y-axis) and one
rotational DOF (pitch-axis).
The implementation of the Shagai picking and throwing mechanism is based on
pneumatic actuation (see Figure 3). The module consists of three pneumatic cylinders which
are “Push”, “Gripper” and “Ject”. Gas tank is filled with six bars PSI compressed air. Push
cylinder is driven by a solenoid valve via quick exhaust in order to achieve throwing
mechanism. Ject cylinder is driven by a solenoid valve via air regulator. The gripper cylinder
is solely driven by a solenoid valve.
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Figure 3: Picking and throwing mechanism module
For the moving platform, three DC motors are attached to the platform for the MR1
to traverse from Khangai Urtuu, Forest, River and Bridge until it meets up with the MR2
which is located at Gobi Urtuu. One DOF gripper, which is actuated using a servo motor, is
assembled at the heading orientation of the MR1.
2.1.2 Electronic Design
Figure 4 shows the system block diagram of the electronic controller hardware for
the MR1. The controller board draws its power from two packs of 11.1 V Lithium Polymer
battery that is connected in series and can supply up to 55 A peak current for a short duration.
The power required by all electronics hardware, motors, and actuators will be supplied by
this board.
The controller uses Arduino Micro development board as its main micro-controller.
It controls three Vexta DC motors, a servo motor, and three relay drivers (for controlling
the pneumatic actuators). The three Vexta DC motors allow the moving platform to move
in two linear directions (X- and Y-axis) and to perform yaw (rotation is Z-axis) movement.
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In order to cater for the independent speed for each DC motor, the controller board has
included a quad channel Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) which is controlled by the
Arduino Micro through Serial Parallel Interface (SPI).
Other than that, the controller can drive three pneumatic actuators (through relays)
for its picking and throwing mechanism, to: i) clamp the Shagai, ii) change the pointing
angle to 45 degrees and iii) throw the Shagai to the Landing Zone. A servo motor is used to
control the Gerege holder. For the manual control by the operator, a Sony Wireless
Controller is connected to a USB Bluetooth host shield that is installed on the controller
board.
Figure 4 : System Block Diagram of the MR1 Controller
2.1.3 Software Design
Arduino is used in the design due to its simplicity and accessible user experience.
Open-source Arduino Software (IDE) is used to provide an interface to write code and
upload it to the board. Board selection in the MR1 is Arduino Micro, a micro-controller
board based on ATmega32U4.
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2.2 Messenger Robot 2
Figure 5: Overview of the MR2
2.2.1 Mechanical Design
As shown in Figure 5, the MR2 is an eight DOF automatic quadruped (spider) robot
that uses the Arduino control board. The dimension of the MR2 is 0.4 m (L) x 0.4 m (H) x
0.4 m (W) with a weight of 2.2 kg, which fulfills the basic requirement. The overall
mechanical structure of the MR2 is made of aluminium, which provides a minimum weight
for the movement. The front part of the MR2 is equipped with a sensor. The spider robot is
able to move on uneven terrain and flat surface. Four symmetric position of the legs allow
the robot to tackle transition of surface at any angle [1]. In terms of locomotion, the MR2
provides flexibility and adaptability to encounter the surface of the game field. There are a
total of nine TowerPro MG996R servos used in this robot due to its good performance [2]
and price consideration. Each of them is for front right hip, front right leg, back right hip,
back right leg, back left hip, back right leg, front left hip, front left leg and the Gerege holder.
The Gerege holder is designed in such a way that a large surface area is created for the ease
of receiving. A frictionless acrylic base allows the Gerege to slide along the path, down to
the aluminium-based Gerege holder that is controlled by one servo motor. The Gerege will
then be raised using a servo motor when the MR2 reaches Uukhai Zone.
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2.2.2 Electronic Design
Figure 6 shows the system block diagram of the electronic controller hardware for
the MR2. It is the same board as the controller hardware for the MR1 but it is only used to
drive two DC motors.
Figure 6: System Block Diagram of the MR2 Controller
2.2.3 Software Design
Arduino software is used in the design due to its simplicity and accessible user
experience. Open-source Arduino Software (IDE) is used to provide an interface to write
code and upload it to the board. Board selection in the MR2 is Arduino Uno, a micro-
controller board based on ATmega328P.
3.0 RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The MR1 and the MR2 are operated in the simulated game field as per defined by
ROBOCON Malaysia 2019. The robots are bench-marked according to the movement
speed, scored points and repeatability. The movement speed is the velocity of the messenger
robots measured in m/s in the game field while the total travelling time is the time in second
taken by the robots to navigate the game field and complete the tasks. The scored points are
the average points scored in the 10 trials and the repeatability is the successful rate for the
completion of the game. The score points of the MR1 are subjected to the picking and
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throwing mechanism when throwing the Shagai into the Landing Zone. The performance
metrics for both the MR1 and the MR2 are tabulated in Table 1.
Table 1: Performance metrics of the MR1 and the MR2.
Metrics MR1 MR2
-1
Movement Speed (ms ) 2 0.3
Total Travelling Time (s) 180 180
Scored Points 20+20 (40) 30 (30)
Repeatability (%) 70 60
4.0 CONCLUSION
The MR1 and the MR2 has been successfully build and tested. The MR1 with its
three-wheel platform was able to manoeuvre in a narrow path easily and the success rate of
the Shagai throwing was rather high. The MR2 was able to walk with its four-legged and
the success rate of the block and rope crossing was acceptable.
5.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ROBOCON Malaysia is always the best platform to nurture the young talents in
engineering field and we are grateful to be given the chance to take part in this competition.
Thanks to the university for its endless encouragement and guidance, making it possible for
the team to complete the project successfully. Last but not least, thanks to ifm electronic
Pte. Ltd. for their generous help and support to the team.
References
[1] Li, Y., Ahmed, A., Sameoto, D., Menon, C., 2012. Abigaille II: toward the development of a
spider-inspired climbing robot. Robotica, 30(1): 79-89.
[2] Ross, R., 2014. Investigation into soft-start techniques for driving servos, Mechatronics, 24(2):
79-86.
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PUTRA A from Universiti Putra Malaysia
TEAM SUPERVISOR: Muhammad Nazrin Bin Nasirruzaman
TEAM ADVISORS: Muhamad Syazwan Bin Pak Rudin
Adam Fahmi Bin Abdul Hadi
Muhammad Azri Bin Helmi
Mohamad Syawal Hafzan Bin Kamal Azmi
Shahril Bin Turung
Muhammad Shamil Bin Abdul Majid
TEAM MEMBERS: Hafiza Binti Hasnan
Tengku Nur Eliza Binti Tengku Azizul
Nurul Husniyah Binti Abas
Nur Nadhrah Binti Kamarulzaman
Nurshafikah Binti Darwis
Muhammad Hazman Bin Shahul Hameed
Muhammad Nasih Ulwan Bin Abd Wahab
Ahmad Afiq Mustaqim Bin Mohd Radzi
Muhammad Fadhly Azri Bin Mohd Taufik
Mohammad Habib Shah Ershad Bin Mohd Azrul Shazrik
Muhammad Zaki Bin Luhur Bambang Subianto
Farah Huda Solehah Binti Ruzzaman
ABSTRACT
This year, the theme for this Robot Contest (ROBOCON) Malaysia 2019 is Satu Langkah,
Seribu Lonjakan. There are two robots that are required to be competed in this contest, which
are the manual robot the MR1 and the automatic legged robot the MR2.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
ROBOCON 2019 is inspired by the traditional culture from Mongolia. The culture
of horse-riding messenger is incorporated into this competition through the design of the
legged robot that is based on a horse. In conjunction with the theme of ROBOCON which
is sharing the knowledge, the MR1 must be able to pass the Gerege to the MR2 once it
reaches Gobi Urtuu. Another cultural aspect that is embedded in the competition is Shagai
throwing games. In Mongolia, Shagai is made from the horse angle bone and it is commonly
thrown by children to collect points. Based on this idea, the task for the MR1 is to throw the
Shagai and collect 50 points in order for the MR2 to move forward. After all the tasks are
completed, the MR2 will climb the Mountain and raise the Gerege. As soon as the MR2 is
on the Mountain, this position which is called Ukhaai is achieved.
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2.0 DETAILED DESIGN
2.1 Mechanical Component of the MR1
Omni wheeled base is used to enable the robot able to move in any direction. The
base is shaped with an angle of 45º at every corner of the omni wheel. The omni wheel can
move the robot in any direction such as 90º and 45º. This condition is suitable for the MR1
robot to move from Khangai Urtuu to Gobi Urtuu. The gripper is designed to hold and pass
the Gerege to the MR2 at Gobi Urtuu using a servo motor. The servo motor will receive a
control signal by the controller to move the griper at any angle between 90º to 180º. The
lifter is used to carry and throw the Shagai at the Throwing Zone. The lifter uses two
components which are pneumatic valve (electronic component) and pneumatic cylinder
(hydraulic component). The mechanism uses bottles that is filled with air pressure of 0.6
Mpa. The pressure from the bottles causes the pneumatic cylinder to move the pneumatic
valve which acts as the controller for the pneumatic cylinder.
(a) (b) (c)
(d) (e)
Figure 1: The design components of the MR1. (a) Omni wheel, (b) Gripper, (c) Lifter, (d)
Pneumatic cylinder and (e) Pneumatic valve.
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2.2 Electronic Component of the MR1
The pressure from the bottles is used to move the pneumatic cylinder through
pneumatic valve that acts as controller for the pneumatic cylinder. The L-shape is used to
keep the air inside the bottle tight. Encoder will calculate the distance for it to reach the
desired distance that we inputed in the programme. The requirement for the competition is
the use of emergency in ordet to avoid damaging other robots and the field. Lipo battery
acts as power supply to Arduino Due, driver and pneumatic valve. The Arduino Due and
pneumatic valve use 12 V battery while the driver uses a 24 V battery. Power windows are
used to lift the lifter up and down.
In order to throw the Shagai at the Throwing Zone, the thrower uses a pneumatic
valve that is connected with arduino as the micro-controller and pneumatic cylinder.
Microcontroller Arduino Due is implemented manually because it is the perfect board for
powerful large scale Arduino projects. It is equipped with 54 digital input/output pins, 12
analog inputs. Besides that, the robot uses four MD13S type of drivers to control the
direction and pulse width modulation (PWM).
Relay switch is used to control the switch automatically by using a signal. The
number of the drivers used in the robot are four because the robot uses four DC motors and
the drivers are connected in parallel to ensure the supplied voltage is 12 V each, thus
reducing the probability for disruption. The MR1 uses DC motor because the movement
will become faster when we supply the 24 V battery.
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(c)
(a) (b) (d)
(e)
(f) (g) (h) (i)
Figure 2: The design and electronics components of the MR1. (a) Push emergency button,
(b) L-shape, (c) Arduino due, (d) Driver, (e) Encoder, (f) Battery, (g) Power window, (h)
Relay switch and (i) Bottles setup.
2.3 Mechanical Component of the MR2
This robot has four legs in order to make it more stable. The MR2 will have two of
its legs moving to the front. The upper part of the legs will touch the limit switch and a
signal will be sent to the arduino to read and write the feed-back to the back legs. Once it
receives the signal, the legs that are previously at the back, will move to the front and the
other two legs will move to the back after they push the limit switch button. The MR2 has
four legs that have eight touching points in order to fulfil the rule 4.12.2 stated in the rule
book.
In addition, the MR2 uses PVC coil mat at each leg as an absorber to reduce the
force between the leg and the surface. To go through the Sand Dune, the legs are designed
with 45º angle. The auto legged robot has four legs that are connected to the DC worm gear
to move the robot. This is because the DC worm gear produces higher torque and it will not
operate if the electric supply is absent. This robot is also heavy, so the DC power window
is able to compromise with the weight of the robot. The Gerege holder is shaped based on
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the shape and size of the Gerege. The isosceles trapezoid shape at the top of the Gerege
holder is made to prevent the Gerege from falling during passing the Gerege at Gorbi Urtuu.
As the Gerege falls into the Gerege holder, it will touch the limit switch and a signal will
be sent to Arduino Due. The Arduino Due will switch on the system. The system will make
the MR2 move straight.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
Figure 3: The mechanical components of the MR2. (a) Base, (b) DC worm gear, (c) Leg
and (d) Gerege holder
2.4 Electronic Component of the MR2
The requirement for the competition is the use of emergency to avoid damaging
other robots and the field. Micro-controller Arduino Due is used because it has many
interupt pins to be used for limit switch. The MR2 uses four drivers to connect with four
power windows in parallel to ensure the supplied voltage is 12 V each and it will reduce the
probability for disruption. LiPO battery supplied 12 V power for the DC motor and 5 V for
Arduino Due. The limit switch will be triggered by the upper part of the legs when two of
the legs move to the front. The upper part of the legs will touch the limit switch and send
the signal for the arduino to read and write the feed-back to the back legs. Once it receives
the signal, the legs that are previously at the back, will move to the front and the other two
legs will move to the back after pushing the limit switch button. This process will keep on
going, hence the walking process takes place. The pressure from the bottles is used to move
the pneumatic cylinder through pneumatic valve that acts as a controller for the pneumatic
cylinder.
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Figure 4: Programme flow-chart
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(a) (b)
Figure 5: (a) Robot movement programme and (b) Mountain climb programme
3.0 CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The robot was successfully built in accordance with the main concept of Malaysia
ROBOCON which is Sharing of Knowledge. The Messenger Robot 2 and the Messenger
Robot 1 which are the auto robot and manual robot, respectively. We have illustrated the
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application of mechanical and electrical technology in industry to deliver information
quickly. Hence, this application can be used in the future when utilizing constrain control
and electrical communication. Communication here refers to the passing of the Gerege
between the two robots using relay system.
Although both manual and auto robots fulfills the criteria of the rules, there are still
some limitations but can be improved. For example, inadequate financial resource limits the
materials used to build the robots and practice field. The purchased qualitity reflects the
sturdiness and durability of the final product. Next, is the equipment. Encoder is
implemented in the manual robot and can only be used as a semi-auto control since it can
only count up to a certain desired distance. Despite the fact that fiber optic sensor is more
commonly used, it has similar function as the encoder. Thus, the possibility for other
occasions will vary to some extent. For example, the lighting from the field at the
competition may differ from the lighting during the practice field. Thus, it will affect the
colour sensor readings. That is why encoder is more preferable. For the automatic robot, the
limitation depends on the mechanical structure of the robot. If the structure of the robot is
poorly built, it may damage the components such as motors, sensor or driver.
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UiTM Bravo from Universiti Teknologi Mara Shah Alam
TEAM SUPERVISOR: Noorfadzli Bin Abdul Razak
TEAM MEMBERS: Muhammad Rafie Bin Sazali
Nurul Adibah Binti Md Najib
ABSTRACT
ROBOCON is a game where university students compete to complete a task within a time
limit. This competition consists of making two robots with different functions. In this case
they are the Messenger Robot 1 (MR1) and the Messenger Robot 2 (MR2). The MR1 is a
messenger robot with a given task to deliver the Gerege to the MR2. When the MR2
retrieved the Gerege, it will proceed to the Mountain.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Asia-Pacific Robot Contest (ABU ROBOCON) is an Asian-Oceanian College
Robotic Competition, founded in 2002 by Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. In the
competition, the team needs to build two robots which consists of a manual robot and an
autonomous four-legged robot. Legged robot is known as a higher level mobility as it can
walk over uneven terrains without non-holonomic constrains [1].
In ROBOCON 2019, two teams compete to complete a task within a time limit of
three minutes. The team will achieve a knock out (KO) victory if they straightway complete
the game [2]. If neither team manages to complete the game within the time limit, the team
with higher score will be declared a winner. The contest aims to encourage teamwork among
young people with similar interests, as well as helping in the advance of Robotics Culture
within the region.
The event is broadcasted in many countries through ABU member broadcasters.
Each year, the competition provides different problem statement and two or more robots
must be used to complete the tasks. One of the robots is manually controlled while the other
is automatic. The best robots usually weight more than 10 kg and span in one square meter
area. To build the robots, contestants, who are restricted to be undergraduate students, must
possess a good knowledge in programming, mechanical design and electronic circuit design.
While constructing the robots, some problems have been examined. One of the
problems is the mechanical design of the robot, which is the frequent changes in design.
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Design is important to be finalized because it can affect the work progress. Second, the lack
of focus in individual tasks may lead to problem in time management.
The objective of the work is to deliver the Gerege from the MR1 to the MR2. Once
the Gerege has been delivered, the automatic robot will proceed along the Gobi Area
towards the Sand Dune and Tussock and then directly to Mountain Urtuu by walking on
four legs. Then the MR1 needs to throw the Shagai to earn 50 or more points. Once
achieved, the MR2 can climb the Mountain and raises the Gerege and the team will be the
winner which is called UUKHAI.
The motivation for us is to gain more experience in this field. By joining this
competition, it helps us to develop and even explore our potential in hardware and software
skills. This will also show to the society that even young people are capable of constructing
robot.
2.0 DETAILED DESIGN
2.1 Mechanical Design
The MR1 consists of three main components, which are base, Shagai throwing
mechanism and Shagai gripper mechanism. While the main components for the MR2 are
gripper and the leg part of the robot.
2.1.1 Base (Holonomic drive)
Figure 1: Holomonic drive for base robot
Figure 1 shows the holomonic drive for base robot. The locomotion drive of the
robot should be as mobile as possible which is why holonomic wheel is the best option to
consider. Holonomic drive can move diagonally without changing the direction of its
wheels. The dimension is 15 cm x 4 cm with a mass of 500 g.
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2.1.2 Shagai Gripper
Figure 2: Gripper for the Shagai
In reference to Figure 2, this design is based on the shape of the Shagai because it
gives more friction to grip and transfer it to the throwing area of the base. Pneumatic is also
used in this design to open and close the gripper. The dimension is 70 cm (L) x 30 cm (W)
x 25 cm (H) while the mass is 700 g.
2.1.3 Shagai Throwing
Figure 3: Mechanism for catapult
The throwing mechanism originates (see Figure 3) from the concept of catapult
where pneumatic is used to pull the shaft of the catapult to create enough force to throw the
Shagai with a specific angle. With the right angle, this will ensure a proper landing for the
Shagai. The dimension is 62 cm (L) x 45 cm (H) x 16 cm (W) with a mass of 1100 g.
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2.1.4 Leg Part of Messenger Robot 2 (MR2)
Figure 5: Mechanism of leg part on the MR2
Figure 2 illustrates the leg on the MR2. This robot consists of four legs. The
dimension of each leg is 12 cm (L) x 28 cm (H) x 28 cm (W) and the mass is 2200 g.
2.1.5 Gripper of Messenger Robot 2 (MR2)
Figure 6: Design of gripper on the MR2
The gripper on the MR2 is used to hold the Gerege and it holds the Gerege vertically
(see Figure 3). The dimension of the gripper is 26.5 cm (W) x 13.5 cm (L) x 10 cm (H) with
a mass of 1000 g.
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2.2 Electrical Design
Figure 7: Schematic diagram for the MR1
Figure 7 shows how the electronic part works. The controller used in this design is
Raspberry Pi. There are a total of five motor drivers where four of them are for the tire and
the other one is for the slider part. Besides that, a relay module is used to control two
solenoid valves for the cylinder pneumatic part for shooting and gripper mechanism. Lastly,
the Raspberry pi is used to send signals for the vexta motor.
Figure 8: Circuit design of the MR2 for PCB layout
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The micro-controller used in the MR2 are Raspberry Pi and Arduino Mega. Refering
to Figure 8, the circuit design consists of 10 motors where eight motors are used for
movement of the robot and it is placed on the legs. Each legs has two motors and two limit
switches. This limit switch is used to make sure that the motor will stop rotating on certain
condition and only rotate within the range of proper angle. In order for the gripper to hold
the Gerege, fibre optic is used to detect the present of the Gerege by identifying the colour
of the Gerege and the gripper moves by using a motor. Pi camera is used to follow the line
tracking and avoid the obstacle in order for the robot to walk properly. Accelerometer is
used for climbing the Mountain. To raise the Gerege in vertical position, one of the motor
is used for the Gerege to raise over 1000 mm from the surface of Uukhai Zone.
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2.3 Software Design
Figure 9: Flow-chart programme for the MR1
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Figure 10: Flow-chart program for the MR2
3.0 TESTING AND SIMULATION
For the testing method, we conducted several trials to get the expected results.
Several factors that are considered while conducting the testing are the angle of throwing
Shagai, the amount of PSI needed to throw the Shagai and the size of the cylinder
pneumatic. For the angle of throwing Shagai, the platform is adjusted so that the Shagai has
the right angle for landing. The level of PSI is also important so that the throwing part has
enough force to throw the Shagai and to ensure that it will land within the Landing Zone.
Lastly, the size of the cylinder pneumatic is vital to get the exact distance of the shaft of the
catapult.
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Figure 11: Simulation of Pi Camera to detect line tracking
Figure 11 shows the Pi Camera detecting the line tracking for the MR2 based on
colour code and the brightness of Pi Camera.
4.0 CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS
As a conclusion, it can be said that the students have gained valuable knowledge and
experience from robot development. In addition, as students from the Faculty of Electrical
Engineering, we also learn more about mechanical part when we were constructing the
mechanism of the robot. Needless to say, the students improve many skills such as electronic
design and design of robot by using software and programming. The functional scope for
these robots are limited because it is based on the rules of ROBOCON competition and
therefore cannot be implemented in industry. The improvement from this project was the
use of limb concept for the mechanism to grab the Shagai in the MR1. This is to increase
the accuracy with a proper way of picking and carrying the Shagai. Instead of using a motor
to raise the Gerege, pneumatic can be replaced to improve the speed in short time and it is
also easier to lift the Gerege.
5.0 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First of all, we are very grateful and praise to Allah S.W.T. who gives us strength,
knowledge and ability to accomplish this project. Second, thanks to the Faculty of Electrical
Engineering (FKE), UiTM Shah Alam that has provided the facilities for this project.
Without its cooperation and funds, this project could not have been completed successfully.
We would also like to thank our advisor, Ts. Dr. Noorfadzli Bin Abdul Razak for his advice,
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guidance and patience. We really value many precious words from him. Working with him
gives us a valuable experience and will be very important for our future undertaking. Lastly,
our humble thanks goes to the individuals who have directly or indirectly helped us to
accomplish this task.
References
[1] J. Dupeyroux, G. Passault, F. Ruffier, S. Viollet, and J. Serres, 2017, Hexabot: a small 3D-
printed six-legged walking robot designed for desert ant-like navigation tasks," in IFAC
Word Congress'17.
[2] R. 2019, ABU ASIA PACIFIC ROBOT CONTEST.
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Robotech from Politeknik Port Dickson
TEAM SUPERVISOR: Mohamad Zamri Bin Muhamad
TEAM ADVISORS: Mohd Izhar Bin Ahmad
Munirah binti Md Nujid
TEAM MEMBERS: Noremy binti Che Azemi
Siti Zalina binti Mokhtar
Hairol Samsol Bin Ithnin
Mohd Yuzi Bin Abdul Kadir
Mohd Zaini Bin Kemon
ABSTRACT
A mobile robot messenger planning algorithm is described for transmiting the messenger
through a new environment of embedded robotics. The aim of this work is to design and
build two mobile robots that can do specific tasks. Mobile robotics is a technological field
and a research area which has witnessed incredible advances in the last decades. While many
successful approaches to mobile robot controlled by Bluetooth serial terminal and dynamic
legged locomotion exist, this work concerns with two types robot whose functions, among
other, is to carry the Gerege. The MR1 has to pass the Gerege to the MR2 and throws the
Shagai to earn point. Meanwhile the MR2 is fixed an automatic robot controller. It has to
move on four legs and has to bring the Gerege to Uukhai Zone and then raise it. Based on
this process, the transceiver and receiver must be connected together to achive a good
messenger.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Mobile robotics is a technological field and research area which has witnessed
incredible advances in the last decades [1]. Mobile robots have been explored and applied
in areas such as automatic cleaning, agriculture, medical services, hazard environments,
space exploration, military, intelligent transportation, social robotics and entertainment. In
robotics research, the need for practical integration tools to implement valuable scientific
tasks is felt frequently. However, roboticists end up spending an excessive amount of time
with engineering solutions for their particular hardware set-up and often “reinventing the
wheel” [2]. Usually to control the movement of a mobile robot we need to control the speed
of rotation of its engines or the rotation direction. This could be done with one of the Wi-Fi
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or Bluetooth interfaces [3]. The mobile robot has to have the engines connected to a control
circuit with one of these interfaces. While controlling the mobile robot with Bluetooth we
also have to bear in mind that our application is not only controlled the robot but also will
does other tasks, like gathering information about the environment and computing the
mobile robot’s moving direction. Therefore, the Bluetooth connection should not block
these tasks. The aim of this project is to design and comstruct two mobile robots that can do
specific tasks.
While there exist successful approaches to mobile robot controlled by Bluetooth
serial terminal and dynamic legged locomotion, this project deals with two types robots
which are built to carry the messenger. The messenger not only need the data but also things
that need to grabbed, gripedp, held and threw. These movements have to be finished three
minutes. This work involves two robots wich are the MR1 and the MR2. The MR1 can be
built as a manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic control robot. In this project, fully
automatic robot is effective because it can use Bluetooth serial terminal. The operation of
the MR1 is such that it has to pass the Gerege to the MR2 and throws the Shagai to earn
point.
Meanwhile the MR2 is fixed to a fully automatic robot controller. It has to move on
four legs and must bring the Gerege to Uukhai Zone and after that raise it [4].
2.0 DETAILED DESIGN
Planning algorithms methods has been developed for moving path planning in
configuration space where the main focus is on manoeuvres which requires dexterity,
obstacle avoidance and static stability [5]. This section of the report is divided into two parts.
Part A describes the planning and development of the MR1 and part B deals the development
of the MR2.
2.1 Mechanical Design
2.1.1 Messenger Robot 1 (MR1)
The MR1 body is designed to be rectangular with body frame made of aluminium hollow
bar, bolt and some of nuts to join together. This is the strongest part to hold the entire the
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MR1 body. The length of the body is 90 cm, with the width (including wheels) is 72 cm and
the height (including rotation of gripper) is 60 cm.
The function of the gripper function is to hold the Gerege and throw the Shagai. The
gripper is made from aluminium with the length of 15 cm. A scoop was developed to carry
and throw the Shaga. The length of the scoop is 57 cm and can stand at 90 degrees.
For the moving mechanism, mecanum wheels are used. The sizes of the wheels are
152 mm and the coupler for the motor which is to drive the wheels is 10 mm. Mecanum
drive is a type of holonomic drive base; meaning that it applies the force of the wheel at an
angle of 45 degrees to the robot instead of on one of its axes. By applying the force at an
angle to the robot, it can vary the magnitude of the force vectors to gain translational control
of the robot. The robot can move in any direction while keeping the robot in a constant
compass direction. A mecanum-based robot can be constructed with four independently
driven wheels. For the construction of a robot with four mecanum wheels, two left-handed
wheels (rollers at +45 degrees to the wheel axis) and two right-handed wheels (rollers at –
45 degrees to the wheel axis) are required.
The total weight of the MR1 is 15 kg. This is a suitable weight to carry heavy loads
or for moving at higher speed.
2.1.2 Messenger Robot 2 (MR2)
The MR2 is built using aluminium hollow bar of rectangular form and uses bolt and
nuts to join the body and legs together. The body part consists of four power window motor
to drive the movement of the legs in circular motion in order to make the robot move
forward. The length of the MR2 body is 62 cm, with the width 62 cm and height of 23cm.
The length of its legs is 86 cm. In total, the dimension of the MR2 with the four legs does
not exceed the rules of the games which is 80 cm wide, 100 cm long and 80 cm high.
A slide and holder have been designed to be placed on the top of the MR2 body. The
slide was designed to receive the Gerege from the MR1 and to hold the Gerege as accorded
by the rules. The slide and the holder is made from aluminium with a length of 25 cm, aided
with a motor to lift up the Gerege when it reaches the Mountain. The slide consists of LDR
module to trigger the relay module to turn on the MR2.
75
The MR2 is driven by a power window motor with a connector that connects to the
legs. The connector produces a circular motion to create a circle, thus ensuring thatthe legs
can move forward. In order to ensure the MR2 can pass through the Sand Dune and Tussock,
there is a slope design at the leg to facilitate the movement of the robot. The weight of the
MR2 including its body parts and legs is 15 kg.
2.2 Electronic Design
2.2.1 Messenger Robot 1 (MR1)
Joystick Arduino 1 Master To
Shield Bluetooth Receiver
Motor Slave From
2 Robot Tyre
Driver 1 Bluetooth Transmitter
Arduino 2
Motor
2 Robot Tyre Driver 2
Figure 1: The proposed system organization.
As shown in Figure 1, the MR1 consists of a transmitter part and mobile robotic
parts. The command is sent through a joystick shield using Bluetooth for both robotic parts.
After linking the master and the slave via Bluetooth, the command from joystick
shield is sent to the micro-controller, which will then instruct the Arduino to send the data
to the slave Bluetooth according to data in Table 1. When the slave Bluetooth receives this
data, the motors will rotate and move the robot according to the data sent.
Table 1: Data and motion for slave Bluetooth to control the platform.
Motion Data
Forward 2
Backward 8
Left 4
Right 6
Stop 5
Turn Right 12
Turn Left 14
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i. The Transmitter
The controller consists of a joystick shield, Arduino UNO micro-controller board,
and the master Bluetooth (HC-05) which transmits the command to the receiver. After
connecting the Arduino with the joystick shield as shown in Table 2, the Arduino code is
downloaded and tested the action of the joystick by opening the serial monitor to see the
data that will be transmitted.
Table 2: Connection between the Arduino and Joystick Shield
Arduino Pin Joystick
A2 Transmitter
A3 Receiver
Figure 1 shows the transmitting and receiving process started by serial connection
on digital pins of the Arduino and then defines the Bluetooth and joystick shield pins. After
all definitions, the baud rate and pin mode are set, then the Arduino enters the loop to check
the button pin each time and send the data are sent by the Bluetooth.
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Start
Serial Connection
Bluetooth Definition
Joystick Definition
Set the baud rate and the pin
mode of Joystick Shield
Scan to check the Joystick
Button
Send the data
End
Figure 2: Flow-chart of transmitter process
ii. The Receiver
The receiver consists of the Arduino UNO micro-controller board, which represents
the brain of the system, the slave Bluetooth (HC-05) which receives the command from the
transmitter to generate the specific motion. As shown in Figure 2, the receiving process
started by serial connection on digital pins of the Arduino and then defines the Bluetooth
and the output pins. After all definition, the baud rate and pin mode are set, then the Arduino
enters into the loop to check the serial data from the Bluetooth and send the command to the
motors of robot to turn on or off.
78
Start
Serial Connection
Bluetooth Definition
Output Pin Definition
Set the baud rate and the
pin mode of Arduino
Bluetooth Scanning
no
Serial
Data
yes
Turn Motor ON or OFF
End
Figure 3: Flow-chart of receiver process.
79
iii. Control of Mobile Robot
The flow-chart in Figure 4 shows the control process of the MR1, The Bluetooth
receives the command from the transmitter to generate the motion by controlling four
movements (forward, backward, left, and right) or to stop all motors through the DC motor
driver (MDD10A). The MR1 consists of two DC motors where its encoders generate pulse
signals which can be used to measure the speed and direction of the motors
Bluetooth Arduino Motor the MR1 Battery
Driver Robot
Figure 4: Control of Mobile Robot
iv. Bluetooth (HC-05)
HC-05 Bluetooth Module is an easy-to-use Bluetooth SPP (Serial Port Protocol)
module, designed for transparent wireless serial connection setup. Its communication is via
serial communication which makes an easy way to interface with controller or PC. HC-05
Bluetooth module provides switching mode between master and slave modes which means
it can use neither receiving nor transmitting data. Bluetooth serial module is used for
converting serial port to Bluetooth. This type has two modes: master and slave devices.
After settings the module, the 3.3V that supplies to the KEY pin is removed and then
reset the module. After resetting the module, the status LEDs of the slave and the master
will be fast blinking and then the Pairing LED goes steady. When the master Bluetooth is
setting (AT+LINK=<address>), the specific HC-05 will be chosen, and by entering the
password (as shown in Table 3) the linking is done. The Bluetooth (HC-05) network is called
Piconet or small network, which can have up to eight stations, one of which is called the
master, the rest are called the slaves. The communication between the master and the slaves
can be:
One to one, as used in this project,
One to many.
80
Table 3: Choosing the specific Bluetooth
Main Parameters Master Bluetooth Slave Bluetooth
Address Fca8:9A:264600 98D3:71:F97107
Name Joystick Shield Robot
Baud Rate 38400 38400
2.2.1 Messenger Robot 2 (MR2)
The MR2 will automatically turn on and manoeuvre after the Gerege has been
passed from the MR1 gripper to the MR2 via slide and Gerege pocket that has been placed
on the top of the MR2 body. After the LDR Module detected the signal, it will give signal
to the Arduino 1 to trigger the Relay Module in order to turn on the voltage supply for
Arduino 2.
Relay
Gerege LDR Module Arduino 1
Module
Power Motor Driver
Window 1 Shield 1 Arduino 2
Power Motor Driver
Window 2 Shield 2
Power Motor Driver
Window 3 Shield 3
Power Motor Driver
Window 4 Shield 4
Figure 5: The MR2 system organization.
81
2.3 Software Design
2.3.1 Messenger Robot 1 (MR1)
Start
data = 5
YE
FORWA S dat
RD a
N
YE
RIGHT dat
a
N
YES
REVERS dat
E a
N
YE
LEFT dat
a
N
YES
TURN data
RIGHT ==
N
YES
TURN data
LEFT ==
N
YES
STOP data
==
N
End
Figure 5: Flow-chart of Messenger Robot 1
82
2.3.2 Messenger Robot 2 (MR2)
START
LDR Module
(Arduino A0)
Arduino 1 NO
pinMode (relay, OUTPUT)
pinMode (LDR, INPUT)
AnalogValue =
analogRead(A0)
YES
Relay Module
#define Relay 10
END
Figure 6: Flow-chart of the Messenger Robot 2
The flow-chart above shows the first part of the system where the LDR will be
connected to the analog pin of the Arduino 1. The LDR will detect the difference of light
intensity when the Gerege is placed on the slide located on the top of the MR2 body. The
difference will give signal to the Arduino 1 and trigger the Relay to supply voltage to the
Arduino 2.
83
START
#define pwm
#define dir
#define sen
NO
Motor Driver
Shield 1, 2, 3,
4
YES
Power Window
1,2,3,4
END
Figure 7: Flow-chart of the Messenger Robot 2 to drive power window motor
After the Arduino 2 has been turned on, a signal will send instruction to the power
window motor 1 until 4 to move forward. The number of rotation for the motor will be
determined by the sensor located near to the motor.
84
3.0 ROBOT TESTING
Figure 8: Messenger Robot 1 the MR1
4.0 CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 Conclusions
Every robot has their own specification and character. The messenger robot has
successfully been built to deliver information fast by using a relay messenger system, named
the Urtuu system. The system was first invented by the nomadic Mongolians. The system
is an important invention to exchange and to share knowledge. Based on this concept, the
MR1 will carry the message (Gerege and Shagai) to the MR2 and the receiver will perform
the task to finish the game. We have found that based on the robot’s development it is
necessary for the transceiver and receiver to be connected together to achieve a good
communication.
4.2 Limitations
The limitations of the MR1 during the phase of robot development that the gripper
could not perform the function of throwing the Shagai for long distance. The throwing
mechanism could throw the Shagai only for a short distance and therefore is unable to obtain
enough points. Besides, the movement of the MR2 is too slow due to the inability of the
legs of the robot to move fast enough.
85
4.3 Recommendations
In this task, the robot moves smoothly and is able to transmit and receive the
messenger. For future work, we would suggest that the constraint for the MR1 to use RF
signal should be removed. To transmit the messenger, the RF signal is more efficient
compared to the Bluetooth signal because Bluetooth signal is not stable in a congested area.
For the next project, a longer time frame is needed in order to operate effectively the
messenger robot and to ensure that its movement is smooth and stable. It would be
interesting to try to stabilize the wheel movement by using mini cylinder air tank. With some
pneumatic touch, the gripper will be smoother when in throwing mode. For future work, it
would be to better to consider the reachable set, perhaps by incorporating knowledge about
the nearby terrain. Lastly, the proposed motion planning approach can be generalized, and
applied to a variety of other systems. In the future, we should try similar planning algorithm
on a dynamic biped to achieve walking distance over rough terrain.
5.0 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work is fully supported with fund provided by Polytechnic Port Dickson
funding. The authors would also like to thank Mr. Saiful Azmi Bin Hamzah from Astana
Digital Sdn. Bhd our industrial advisor who supplies the components and robotic items
needed to complete the project.
References
[1]A.M. Petrina, 2011, Advances in robotics. Automatic Documentation and
Mathematical Linguistics, 45(2): 43-57.
[2] A. Araujo, D. Portugal, M.S. Couceiro and R.P. Rocha, 2015. Integrating Arduino-
Based Educational Mobile Robots in ROS, J Intell Robot Syst 77:281–298.
[3] O.B. Manolov, 2015. Remote Control of Educational Mobile Mini-Robot via Wireless
Communication, Advances in Robotics & Automation, 4: 128.
[4] Rulebook guideline ROBOCON, January 2019. http://abuROBOCON2019.mnb.mn/en
[5] A.Shkolnik, M.Levashov, Ian R, 2010, Bounding on Rough Terrain with the LittleDog
Robot. The International Journal of Robotics Research published online 7 December.
86
IIUM Roboteam from International Islamic University
Malaysia
TEAM SUPERVISOR: Dr. Abd Halim Bin Embong
Dr. Malik Arman Bin Morshidi
TEAM MEMBERS: Nur Yana Qaisara Binti Yahaya
Nur Syamimi Binti Mokthar
Nurulsaidatul Nadiha Binti Shamsuddin
Mohamad Asyraaf Bin Azhar
Abdul Wafi Bin Ismail
Wan Zalikha Binti Wan Zaidi
Muhammad Syahmi Bin Zulkefli
Nurnatasyah Azira Binti Shahru Hasimin
Adli Musthaqeem Bin Abidin
Muhammad Luqmanul Hakim Bin Zulkifli
Siti Hajar Binti Jayady
Siti Nurul Huda Binti Abd Rahim
ABSTRACT
IIUM Robotic Team (IIUM Roboteam) was founded in 2007 as a small group of students
with the same interest for robotic competitions and eventually grows into a big community
of Engineering and ICT students. This year, we are sending one team, IIUM Roboteam as
our representative in ROBOCON Malaysia 2019. IIUM Roboteam has designed two robots
which is the manual robot the MR1 and automatic robot the MR2 from scratch. The game
is about completing the task within three minutes. The MR1 can be controlled manually or
automatically. So, our team choose to control the robot manually. The MR2 will receive the
Gerege from the MR1. In this report, we include the solidwork of our robot, the schematic
diagram of the circuit of both robots and also the flow-chart of coding for each robot.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of making these robots is that we want to win this competition at the
national level and hopefully would represent Malaysia to Mongolia. IIUM was the third-
place winner of ROBOCON Malaysia 2018. We are coming back stronger than last year
and has even higher motivation to win this year’s competition. We started making these
robots last year during December. We take inspiration of the walking robot from the Boston
Dynamic robot. From that, we designed a few robots and finally used one as the finalized
robot and keep improvise the current robot. We use pneumatic for the throwing mechanism
87
as the mechanism is the most stable one. For the circuit department, we use some sensors to
make the robots more precise in terms of detecting the position and aligning itself. The
mechanism of our robots is a new project for us, and we are making this robot to the best of
our ability.
2.0 DETAILED DESIGN
2.1 Mechanical Design
2.1.1 Messenger Robot 1 (MR1)
Figure 1: Messenger Robot 1 (MR1) – Manual Robot
Figure 2: Messenger Robot 2 (MR2) - Automotic Robot
88
2.2 Electronic Design
2.2.1 Messenger Robot 1 (Manual Robot)
Figure 3: Main-board for the manual robot
Figure 4: Limit switch board
89
Figure 5: IR and SICK Board
2.2.2 Messenger Robot 2 (Automatic Robot)
Figure 6: Main-board for the Automatic Robot
90
Figure 7: Gripper board
Figure 8: Switch board
91
2.3 Software Design
2.3.1 Messenger Robot 1 (Manual Robot)
Figure 9.1: Flow-chart for the Manual Robot (part 1)
92
Figure 9.2: Flow-chart for the Manual Robot (part 2)
93
2.3.2 Messenger Robot 2 (Automatic Robot)
Figure 10: Flow-chart for the Automatic Robot
94
3.0 CONCLUSION
For this year competition, this is our first time making a legged robot, so we admit
it is a very challenging task for us. Although the task for this game is considered easy, the
making of the robots still requires a very detailed mechanism. The relatively fast progress
in making both robots compared to previous years indicates our commitment and passion
towards this competition.
Several lessons have been learnt while making the robots. We know, for example,
how much torque is required for a robot to walk smoothly, what sensors are suitable to be
used in the robot and what to improve from time to time. Priority attention and specific
techniques are needed to realize the expectation that we want. Our goal is to win this year
competition so that for the first time we will be Malaysia’s representative. It is possible to
reach the targets as we already put all our efforts in this project. There is no doubt that we
can win this competition.
4.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all those who provided us the
support to complete this task. A special gratitude goes to our team members for their
contribution in stimulating suggestions and encouragement and helping me on the schematic
diagram of the circuit and the solidwork of the robots, and in writing this report.
Furthermore, I would also like to acknowledge with much appreciation the crucial
role of the IIUM Roboteam’s advisors Asst. Prof. Dr. Halim Embong and Asst. Prof. Dr.
Malik Arman, who always advised us and encouraged us to do better. We also thank IIUM
Roboteam for giving us the permission to use the required equipments, tools and the
necessary materials to complete these robots. A special thanks goes to all of our team
members who join this competition and give their all to this prestigious competition. Last
but not least, many thanks go to the team leader of this competition, Abdul Wafi Bin Ismail
who has put his full effort in guiding the team in achieving the goal. I must appreciate the
guidance given by other IIUM Roboteam’s supervisors and the seniors of IIUM Roboteam
who during the time phase of building the robot have given their comments and advices.
Needless to say, it has improved greatly our robotics skill and knowledge.
95
References
[1] Engineers Edge, Shaft Torsion Stress Calculator and Equations, 2002.
https://www.engineersedge.com/calculators/torsional-stress-calculator.htm
[2] What is Torque? - Definition, Equation & Calculation,
https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-torque-definition-equation-
calculation.html
96
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