Always learning^0.1

The first steps of "WallTracking"

The "WallTracking" is a robot that runs parallel to the walls and other obstacles as a guiding system, being able to move form a point A to a point B.

From a simple first version it will have more features and more precision

I will describe the main features and design with some UML diagrams

It's based on 2 NXT, but it's very easy to change the design to only one, actually it's now using a single NXT. In a few days there will be a video..

The main features

The main components

The classes

The main Java in the class "WallTracking"

						
	public static void main (String [] args)
	{
		WallTracking wt=new WallTracking(30, 110, 20);
		wt.startIt();
		
		while (!Button.ESCAPE.isPressed());
		
		wt.stopIt();
		Utils.pause(100);		
	}						
                         
						

From the class "WallTracking" the method "void startIt()"

						
						
	public void startIt()
	{
		running=true;		
		boolean isError=false;

		try
		{		
			if (hb!=null)
			{
				hb.start();
			}			
		}
		catch(Exception e)
		{
			isError=true;
			Utils.d(e.getMessage());		
		}
				
		
		if (!isError)
			heading.straight();
	}						
                         
						

From here, the object "HearBeat" started with "hb.start()" will be executing the method "void tick()" from "WallTracking " which:

• will get the US values,
• will store these values
• will execute the method that "does the track of the wall", heading.doWallFollowing(distance).

						
	public void startIt()
	{
		running=true;		
		boolean isError=false;

		try
		{		
			if (hb!=null)
			{
				hb.start();
			}			
		}
		catch(Exception e)
		{
			isError=true;
			Utils.d(e.getMessage());		
		}
				
		
		if (!isError)
			heading.straight();
	}						
                         
						


Finally the object "heading" (from class"HeadingMotion"), executes "HeadingData doWallFollowing(int distance)", from which is executed "steering.steer(hd)", that simply steers the vehicle based on the information that contains the object "hd", instance of the class"HeadingData".

						
	public void tick() 
	{		
		Sound.beep();
		int lateralUSValue = lateralUSSensor.readValue();

		Utils.d(0, "dist.", lateralUSValue);		

		dhis.add(-1, lateralUSValue);
		
		heading.doWallFollowing(distance);
	}