Specifications

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Figure 5.2: Layered approach to robot design.
This design allows greatly for troubleshooting as each layer can be pulled apart
separately to give room for soldering, viewing and modifying. It would also be
advisable to allow a lower layer for the battery storage as they are likely to be one of the
heavier components and mounting them high would affect the robots stability.
5.3 Software Performance
The software as explained above follows a very simple structure. Because of this there
are few errors that affect the performance of the Mobile Manoeuvring Robot. As a
whole, the software completed the overall objective of the project and so should be
recognised as a success.
As a formal test for the straight line driving performance, a pen or chalk can be attached
to the unit to track the trajectory of the robot. To achieve this, a chalk stick was taped to
the rear of the robot. Ideally it should be mounted midway between the drive wheels
however this was not practical for the experiment. The robot was then placed on a clear
and clean slab of concrete and set to run. The result was a line with slight curvature at
the beginning, but as a whole very straight. The slight curvature at the start is due to the
motors starting at full speeds and slowly equalizing. During this time the robot will turn
a slight, hardly noticeable curve. Figure 5.3 shows the testing in progress and figure 5.4
shows the results of the experiment.