Project Readiness Package
Rev 7/22/11
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION:

Project Name (tentative):

Project Number, if known:

Preferred Start/End Quarter in Senior Design:
Fall/Winter
Fall/Spring
Winter/Spring

Faculty Champion:
RC Camera Car
P14226
Name
Dept.
Dr. Becker-Gomez (Possible) CE
Dr. Hopkins (Possible)
EE

Email
[email protected]
[email protected]
Phone
(585) 475-5292
(585) 475-6640
Email
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Phone
(585) 475-7698
(585) 475-7323
(585) 475-2925
(585) 475-5105
(585) 475-6640
Other Support, if known:
Name
Dr. Melton
Dr. Pow
Dr. Walter
Mr. Slack
Dr. Hopkins
Dept.
CE
CIS
ME
EE
EE

Project “Guide” if known:

Primary Customer, if known (name, phone, email):
o Andy Mastronardi; (512) 895-6447; [email protected]

Sponsor(s):
Name/Organization
Mr. Smith
Freescale Semiconductor
Contact Info.
[email protected].
[email protected]
Page 1 of 11
Type & Amount of Support
Committed
Student Initiated MSD; $500-1000
Publicity; Electronic Components
Project Readiness Package
Rev 7/22/11
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
The world of consumer DIY electronics has
recently experienced an astounding growth as
affordable electronics and internet guides have
allowed interested people to build amazing creations.
This sort of opportunity is what pulls new people into
disciplines like engineering, which is becoming a very
important issue in our economy. This presents a
unique challenge to both academic organizations and
businesses to take on projects that showcase the sort
of ingenuity and potential that can be produced using
technology and talent. These need to be projects that
can draw public interest.
http://blog.makezine.com/2010/
08/07/real-rc-cars-meet-racingarcade-act/
The project initiated here focuses on utilizing
the multidisciplinary aspect of senior design to make a high visibility project that can be displayed at
multiple events, including Imagine RIT and the Freescale Cup. The idea is to create a RC car that can be
driven remotely from a first person perspective around a course of unspecified shape. The car is to be
outfitted with a microcontroller that transmits driving data wirelessly from a remote console, along with a
wireless camera system that transmits visuals from
the car. The driving setup is to mimic a realistic
driving experience (i.e. pedals, steering wheel,
levers) in which a participant can drive the vehicle
without looking directly at the car at all. This
project involves a variety of electronic controls,
data transmission, and fabrication challenges that
should allow one driven senior design group to
make a working pilot model. The project could
then be extended to produce a family of future
projects in which different courses, cars, and
http://memsblog.files.wordpress.com/
design competitions could be made to further the
2011/04/freescale-cup-autonomousgoal of showcasing the innovation at RIT.
car-chassis.jpg
Similar driving setups have been accomplished as models for what can be achieved, but little
exists in the way of documentation as to what was done in their creation. Links to such projects can be
found below. This ambiguity allows for unrestrained creativity on the part of the design group in
accomplishing a similar objective and expanding it to new areas. Currently, there have been projects such
as that going on in the computer engineering department for autonomous vehicle control through the
Freescale Cup competition, so the know-how exists to accomplish the objective. From a component
perspective, affordable wireless cameras, microcontrollers, computer driving setups, and RC car chassis
are available that can allow for this objective to be accomplished with only the budget set aside for
student-initiated projects. On top of this, Freescale Semiconductors in interested in the project and is
willing to donate a number of components necessary for its implementation in exchange for
demonstrations at the 2014 Freescale Cup and Imagine RIT. Together with some dedicated engineering
students and some help from faculty, this project has the potential to exceed expectations. With additional
funding and increased interest, this project could change the game.
Links:
http://www.break.com/index/video-game-controls-rc-car-1899310/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Car-No02-Steering-Wheel-Drive-RC-Car-with-Arduin/
Page 2 of 11
Project Readiness Package
Rev 7/22/11
DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Customer Needs and Objectives: Established by Tim Southerton based on project description and
feedback through DPM; Priority established by Dr. Gomes
RC Camera Car Design Competition
Customer Needs and Objectives
Priority
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
Objective
F5
D1
U1
U2
E1
E3
S2
F1
F2
F3
D2
U3
S1
E2
F4
F6
E4
Customer Objective Description
driven remotely over reasonable dist.
robust component setups / fab.
controls intuitive for average user
driver needs to see what is going on
safe to bystanders and user
high visibility
includes multidisciplinary aspects
fast enough to be exciting
authentic driving experience and feel
lasts for a reasonable period of time
modular, replaceable components
drivability manageable within course
manageable budget
professional appearance
can make it through course obstacles
no manual reset required
competitive element
Legend
Category
Objective Desig.
Fun to Drive
F
Durable Const.
D
Easy to Use
U
Entertainment
E
Scoped for MSD
S
Priority
Value
High Importance
3
Avg. Importance
2
Min. Importance
1

Function Tree Diagram:

Function Structure Diagram:

Potential Concepts:

Pugh Analysis:

Engineering Metrics and Specifications: Established by Tim Southerton as estimates using available
data for Arduino components; Final specs may vary based on components provided by Freescale
Semiconductor, which are still not fully known
Function
Move Car Chassis
Metrics
Direction Ideal
Target
Marginal
Units
Travel Speed
||
0 to 10
0 to 1
ft/sec
Additional Payload
↑
1.2
0.5
lb
Control Movement
Control Range
↑
200
100
10
ft
Control Delay
↓
Not
Almost Not Somewhat Noticeable
Steering Ratio (I/O)
||
12:1 to 20:1
nd
Throttle Travel
||
2.5
0.5
in
Page 3 of 11
Project Readiness Package
Transmit Visuals
Meet Power Req.'s
Meet Constraints

Rev 7/22/11
Forward / Reverse
Camera Range
Camera Delay
Framerate
Resolution
See Budgets
Car Run Time
See Constraints
Target
↑
↓
↑
||
Target
↑
Target
Yes
200
Not
30
VGA
Yes
1
Yes
Yes
100
Almost Not
20
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes/No
10
ft
Somewhat Noticeable
15
fps
CGA
pixels
Yes
Yes/No
0.25
hours
Yes
Yes/No
Constraints: Established by Tim Southerton as estimates with feedback from DPM
Function
Constrain Car Travel Area
Allow User Usage
Hold Car Together
Switch Car Components
Stay Within Budget
Look Professional
Keep Car from Getting Stuck
Involve Multiple Disciplines
Demonstrate Innovation
Use DIY Components
Metrics
User Stays on Course
Learning Curve Time
Car Survives Collisions
Car Downtime after Damage
Total Cost
Positive Visual Inspection
Manual Reset Required
Different Majors Involved
Event Entry
Product Expandable
Direction
↑
↓
↑
↓
↓
↑
↓
↑
↑
Target
Ideal
100
60
10
0
500
100
0
3
3
Yes
Target
90
120
8
2
750
90
1
2
2
Yes
Marginal
80
300
5
24
1000
50
2
1
1
Yes
Units
% of Laps
sec
Collisions
hours
$
% of Users
Resets / Hour
Majors
Events
Yes/No

Project Deliverables:
o RC Camera Car - Working prototype for Freescale Cup / Imagine RIT
o Control Console - Working prototype for Freescale Cup / Imagine RIT
o Driving Course - Testing setup for prototypes

Budget Estimate:

Intellectual Property (IP) Considerations: (N/A)

Other Project Items: Addressed During DPM
 Tim Southerton and Brian Grosso (ME) are interested in continuing this project in MSD Fall 2131
 Contact Information: [email protected], [email protected], 570-470-5663
 Console power should come from a 120 VAC powered PSU
 No power budgets need to be done on the components involved
 Specifications simplified to be open, measureable, and useful for evaluating deliverable
 Console / car combination items (steering, throttle, etc.) addressed as a unit to reflect
 Project estimates currently done using Arduino components
 Freescale support moves project toward using donated modules
 Used in Imagine RIT exhibit 2014 along with Freescale Cup car
 Build relationship with Freescale Semiconductor through component usage
 Dr. DeBartolo may have a racing seat for use in the project's console
 Lots of additional items / concepts available to specifically aim the project:
 Addition of a optical timing gate for use with multiple competitions
 Keeps track of and displays vehicle lap time
Page 4 of 11
Project Readiness Package
Rev 7/22/11
 Extra EE staffing
 Reverse camera for when the vehicle needs to correct itself / racing
 Extra EE / ME Staffing
 Parking Spaces for course to Simulate Real World Driving
 Extra ME Staffing
 Incorporate line following to stay in bounds
 Extra CE Staffing
 Two cars that race on the course
 Extra Staffing / Funding
 Laser tag with LED counter
 Extra Staffing / Funding
 Project must be scaled toward available staffing:
 Mechanical Engineering components:
 Component mounting, course design, console design, car body design
 Electrical Engineering components:
 MCU selection, battery choice, optional time keeping optical gate for racing
 Computer Engineering components:
 Freescale component integration, software and coding
 More Information
 https://edge.rit.edu/edge/R13904/public/Tim%20S%20%20RC%20Camera%20Car/RC%20Camera%20Car%20Design%20Competition

Continuation Project Information: (N/A)
STUDENT STAFFING:

Skills Checklist: See Appendix A; Verified by: Dr. DeBartolo (ME), Mr. Slack (EE), and Dr. BeckerGomez (CE); Ranking established by Tim Southerton as an estimate

Anticipated Staffing Levels by Discipline:
Discipline
How
Many?
EE
2
ME
2
CE
2
Anticipated Skills Needed (Bold Skills Most Important)
Circuit Design, Power Systems, System Analysis, Programming,
Microcontroller Selection / Application, Wi-Fi Protocol, Component
Selection, Communication System Front End Design, Embedded
Software Design / Implementation
3D CAD, Statics / Dynamics Analysis, Basic Machining, Specifying
Machine Elements, Robotics
Software for Microcontrollers, Device Programming, Programming,
Signal Processing, Interfacing Transducers and Actuators to
Microcontrollers, Wireless Networks, Robotics, Embedded and RealTime Systems, Digital Image Processing
Page 5 of 11
Project Readiness Package
Rev 7/22/11
OTHER RESOURCES ANTICIPATED:
Category
Resource
Available?
Description
Faculty
Environment
10' by 10' Indoor Test Space for Track Development (Estimated)
Equipment
Materials
Other
Prepared by:
Tim Southerton
Date:
Page 6 of 11
05-16-2013
Project Readiness Package
Rev 7/22/11
Appendix A: Skills Checklist
Project Name (tentative):
Checklist Completed by (name):
RC Camera Car
Tim Southerton
For each discipline, indicate which skills or knowledge will be needed by students working on the associated
project, and rank the skills in order of importance (1=highest priority). You may use the same number multiple
times to indicate equal rank.
Mechanical Engineering
2
1
3
2
3D CAD
MATLAB programming
Machining (basic)
Stress analysis (2D)
Statics/dynamic analysis (2D)
Thermodynamics
Fluid dynamics (CV)
LabView (data acquisition, etc.)
Statistics
FEA
Heat transfer
Modeling of electromechanical & fluid systems
Fatigue & static failure criteria (DME)
Specifying machine elements
Aerodynamics
CFD
Biomaterials
Vibrations
Combustion engines
GD&T (geometic dimensioning & tolerancing)
Linear controls
Composites
DFM
Robotics (motion control)
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
1
Reviewed by (ME faculty):
Electrical Engineering
2
1
2
2
Circuit design: AC/DC converters, regulators,
amplifier ckts, analog filter design, FPGA Logic
design, sensor bias/support circuitry
Power systems: selection, analysis, power budget
determination
System analysis: frequency analysis (Fourier,
Laplace), stability, PID controllers, modulation
schemes, VCO’s & mixers, ADC selection
Circuit build, test, debug (scopes, DMM, function
generators)
Board layout
MATLAB
PSpice
Programming: C, Assembly
Electromagnetics (shielding, interference)
Digital filter design and implementation,
DSP
1
Microcontroller selection/application
Wireless protocol, component selection
1
Antenna selection (simple design)
2
2
Reviewed by (EE faculty):
Page 7 of 11
Communication system front end design
Algorithm design/simulation
Embedded software design/ implementation
Other:
Other:
Project Readiness Package
Rev 7/22/11
Computer Engineering
1
1
2
3
1
Digital design (including HDL and FPGA)
Software for microcontrollers (including Linux and
Windows)
Device programming: Assembly language, C
Programming: Java, C++
Analog design
Networking and network protocols
Scientific computing (including C and MATLAB)
Signal processing
Interfacing transducers and actuators to
microcontrollers
Reviewed by (CE faculty):
Page 8 of 11
1
1
2
3
Wireless networks
Robotics (guidance, navigation, vision,
machine learning, and control)
Concurrent and embedded software
Embedded and real-time systems
Digital image processing
Computer vision
Network security
Other:
Other:
Project Readiness Package
Rev 7/22/11
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Project Readiness Package
Rev 7/22/11
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Project Readiness Package
Rev 7/22/11
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