Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
27 An Automatic Pet Door(seeking for approval)
Haijian Wang
Haoran Zheng
Zhihao Xu
Yixuan Wang design_document1.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
other1.pptx
photo2.png
photo3.png
proposal1.pdf
video1.mp4
video
An Automatic Pet Door
Team Members:
- Student 1 (netid) Haijian Wang (haijian4)
- Student 2 (netid) Haoran Zheng (haoranz8)
- Student 3 (netid)Zhihao Xu (zhihaox4)

1. Problem
For those people living near small natural ecosystems, some small-sized wildlife animals like racoons or lizards may enter their house through pet doors from time to time. If we can design an electronic device attached on the pet door with proper sensors that can distinguish cats and dogs from non-pet animals, then when the pets attempt to enter or exit the house, the pet door will automatically unlock with the help from some external mechanical devices, but if wildlife animals try to enter, the pet door will stay locked. Additionally, the practical use of such device is not limited to pets-scenario, and any problem involved in automatically distinguishing different types of objects and taking different actions can utilize this device because the training sets can be altered to fit different scenarios.

2. Solution and Design Graph
The solution to our problem is to design an automatic pet door. We will have several subsystems. The most important subsystem would be a camera module to help us identify the animal at the door. The camera will be connected to an FPGA that runs pre-trained AI models. We will also have weight sensors and motion sensors to further verify that we have the correct type of animal. We will use batteries for our power subsystem and motors to unlock the latches. We would also have a notification subsystem that uses LEDs to indicate the status of the lock and sends out text notifications to users. Our customized PCB will connect every subsystem together and a microcontroller will control everything



3. Solution Components



3.1 Subsystem 1: Camera module and FPGA with pretrained AI implemented
An AI programmed on the FPGA board will be trained and tested on recognizing pets' facial images with numerous photos as training, development, and testing sets. After completing the training process and reaching a desirable successful rate, the FPGA would be connected to the camera through PCB. The camera will monitor the outside of the door and send image data to FPGA, so the AI would determine whether the object is pet and generate different signals accordingly.

3.2 Subsystem 2: Assisting sensors
3.2.1 Infrared Motion Sensor:
Detect whether some objects are near the pet door, if there is currently no object, then the camera, display device, and FPGA will remain shut down to avoid wasting energy.
3.2.2 Weight Sensor:
This sensor serves as a fail-safe, and if the measured weight is lower or higher than the boundary of the expected weight range of normal cats and dogs, then the latch will always be locked even if the camera falsely recognizes the object as a pet.

3.3 Subsystem 3: Microcontroller on a Customized PCB

3.4 Subsystem 4: Sound Notification and Visual Display Device
Basic: Single LED, if the latch unlocks, then the LED will light up.
Intermediate: a full LED Array to form a rectangular board, if the latch is unlocked, corresponding individual LEDs in the Array will be lit up and display “unlocked”.
Advanced: LCD screen

3.5 Subsystem 5: Power Supply
Battery for supporting LED and mechanical controller. Using a voltage converter to supply the electric energy for operating the whole system.

3.6 Subsystem 6: Motor and Mechanical locking/unlocking device
keeping a door closed until a release mechanism is activated which is related to our multiple sensors. When every sensor is satisfied, the unlocking mechanism will be activated and the door will be opened and will go back into locking status after pets pass through the door. Otherwise, the door will keep closed.

4. Criterion For Success
For our project, we need to achieve this system with great efficiency and accuracy for recognizing the general characteristics of pets.
We need to make sure the accuracy of the systems could identify animals without being disturbed by other objects. The door will be closed automatically when there are no pets appearing in front of the camera.
The recognition of motion, weight, and graph should be satisfied at the same time to identify the pet as the correct type. Any incorrect recognition will make the door keeping closed.
The door should be closed in a short time after pets have passed through the door and presented the status of door through the LEDs.
The door should respond to the recognition result in a short time. If the recognition is correct/false, the door should open/close and the status of the LED should be changed.

Autonomous Sailboat

Riley Baker, Arthur Liang, Lorenzo Rodriguez Perez

Autonomous Sailboat

Featured Project

# Autonomous Sailboat

Team Members:

- Riley Baker (rileymb3)

- Lorenzo Pérez (lr12)

- Arthur Liang (chianl2)

# Problem

WRSC (World Robotic Sailing Championship) is an autonomous sailing competition that aims at stimulating the development of autonomous marine robotics. In order to make autonomous sailing more accessible, some scholars have created a generic educational design. However, these models utilize expensive and scarce autopilot systems such as the Pixhawk Flight controller.

# Solution

The goal of this project is to make an affordable, user- friendly RC sailboat that can be used as a means of learning autonomous sailing on a smaller scale. The Autonomous Sailboat will have dual mode capability, allowing the operator to switch from manual to autonomous mode where the boat will maintain its current compass heading. The boat will transmit its sensor data back to base where the operator can use it to better the autonomous mode capability and keep track of the boat’s position in the water. Amateur sailors will benefit from the “return to base” functionality provided by the autonomous system.

# Solution Components

## On-board

### Sensors

Pixhawk - Connect GPS and compass sensors to microcontroller that allows for a stable state system within the autonomous mode. A shaft decoder that serves as a wind vane sensor that we plan to attach to the head of the mast to detect wind direction and speed. A compass/accelerometer sensor and GPS to detect the position of the boat and direction of travel.

### Actuators

2 servos - one winch servo that controls the orientation of the mainsail and one that controls that orientation of the rudder

### Communication devices

5 channel 2.4 GHz receiver - A receiver that will be used to select autonomous or manual mode and will trigger orders when in manual mode.

5 channel 2.4 GHz transmitter - A transmitter that will have the ability to switch between autonomous and manual mode. It will also transfer servos movements when in manual mode.

### Power

LiPo battery

## Ground control

Microcontroller - A microcontroller that records sensor output and servo settings for radio control and autonomous modes. Software on microcontroller processes the sensor input and determines the optimum rudder and sail winch servo settings needed to maintain a prescribed course for the given wind direction.

# Criterion For Success

1. Implement dual mode capability

2. Boat can maintain a given compass heading after being switched to autonomous mode and incorporates a “return to base” feature that returns the sailboat back to its starting position

3. Boat can record and transmit servo, sensor, and position data back to base

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