Robot Platoon
Ever heard of the phrase doing more with less? ?Robot Platoon? is exactly that, achieving more with less computational power. Relying on the computational power and results from the head of platoon or lead robot The whole Platoon comprising of multiple robots will be able to navigate autonomously in
2025-06-28 16:34:50 - Adil Khan
Robot Platoon
Project Area of Specialization RoboticsProject SummaryEver heard of the phrase doing more with less? “Robot Platoon” is exactly that, achieving more with less computational power. Relying on the computational power and results from the head of platoon or lead robot The whole Platoon comprising of multiple robots will be able to navigate autonomously in the real world. Are you already jaw dropping? Hold on, there is more to come.
Let’s take a peek to the world of few decades ahead; whether you like it or not , robots will be all around us , robots for delivery, robots as guides , robots in factories, robots in warehouses .Robots on ground rolling or walking with us or robot drones in skies above us .
Now take for the sake of example a delivery robot. Imagine if you are the human operator whose job is to dispatch robots with user requested items to user requested destination location. There might come a situation when you have received multiple orders from the same area. For example, you have received orders from colony A Street 1, and another from same area street 5, yet another from street 8, yet another from street 7. The weight of packages or items to be delivered makes it unfeasible for one robot to make all the deliveries. Now in the current situation you will have to assign 4 robots who will have to navigate on their own to reach the same area and then a different street. That means 4 times the computation power (4xenergyUsed) required to reach colony A. Hmm…it isn’t so pleasing, right? Having to do 4x times the same work. Here is where Platooning jumps in to save the day.
Platooning these 4 robots in the above example will greatly reduce the computational cost to 1x time. How? One robot is the lead robot that does all the computation that is required for navigation relying on latitude and longitude data from the GPS (General Positioning System) , it will continuously compute the distance and direction to target location(sub goal/goal) and will forward these results to the other members in the platoon , The other members won’t mind to be called followers because they are exactly that , they are blindly following and relying on the information from the lead/Head robot.
The robots in Platoon are like vertical train without physical link they will always have fixed distance from one another all member will increase or decrease speed or apply brakes at the same time like those annoying kids who like to imitate others.
The backdrop of robot platooning will be vehicle platooning or one may call vehicle platooning the father of robot platooning. Vehicle platooning is flocking of vehicles such that they lose their individuality and become a whole, it is meant to increase road efficiency and decrease fuel consumption.
The robots that will be used in this project will be assembled from the parts available in the market. Two robots will be used for demonstrating two robot categorizes i.e. Leader and follower in platooning.
An android based application is part of the project which will be used for managing platoon and trackng.
Project Objectives- Autonomous lead robot that can navigate through GPS.
- Blind follower that can take instructions from lead for navigation reducing computation cost.
- User can see the current location of lead robot in their mobile app thus being able to track their platoon at any time.
- User can add or remove members of platoon.
- User can view the current members of platoon through mobile app.
Project Implementation can be divided into two phases.
Hardware Implementation
Hardware Implementation involves connecting together input modules (sensors) processing unit (microcontroller) and output modules (actuators).
Sensors: GPS module, compass.
Actuators: dc motors.
Microcontrollers: Raspberry pi , motor driver
Raspberry pi is connected to GPS module, compass, Bluetooth module, motor driver. GPS location is received from GPS module aurdino will use tinyGPS library to parse the NMEA (protocol for GPS information) messages and calculate the distance and direction to target location. Reading from compass will be used to change the direction of robot if necessary. Robot will stop when current and target location will be the same.
Software Implementation
Software Implementation includes development of android application that will provide destination location i.e. its longitude and latitude position and the waypoints (sub goals) between start location of the robot and destination location to the lead robot. Lead robot will instruct the movement of following robot through bluetooth. The path computation is static (beforehand).
From farms to offices to assistance in tasks for disable people the applications and benefits push ones horizons as you dive deeper.
In Farms it can be used for watering or watching over the land. To tasks such as surveillance of a sensitive area to much more needed surveillance of your share of cookies from your siblings while you wash your hands. Or monitor the health of your ailing parents as you sit in the office. In educational institutes for distribution of answer sheet paper and in office for sending documents to your colleagues.
To more commercial applications such as in warehouse for management of inventory. Or may be as robot carts in shopping malls that will stalk you with your goods. For delivery of goods or as a waiter in restaurants. To transportation of heavy materials at construction sight such as bricks, doing the tedious tasks for us.
In Rescue Operations such as in a fire worn building a robot can be sent to look if any human is trapped inside. or in an earthquake hit area. Or may be look for the remnants of a crashed airplane in a forest.
To a more serious and much needed application of sewage cleaning. The toxic gases in sewage pipes are hazardous for human health and can leave a long lasting impact on body or even death so why not let the robots do the dirty work for us.
Technical Details of Final DeliverableThe technical deliverables for this project can be split into three categories.
- Documentation:
Project documentation contains the requirements, project understanding, design diagrams and user interface prototype with test document.
2.Hardware Deliverable:
Hardware deliverables will include the two robots. The robots will have Raspberry pi as the main processing unit, data from sensors such as GPS and compass will be processed here. Raspberry pi will be connected to L-298 motor driver and will be able to control the direction of the motion as this motor driver is connected to DC motors that move the wheels of the robot. Moreover a Bluetooth module which will allow Lead and Platoon communication and Android application and Lead communication.
3.Software Deliverable:
Software Deliverable includes the Android application for tracking robots and features for managing the platoon such as adding or removing a robot from a platoon and viewing the acrive members in platoon. Application will also have a map activity which user can use to give the desired destination location for the robots to reach. This Apllication will communicate to the robots through bluetooth interface. Application will be connected to the lead after user enters the Bluetooth PIN for the robot. User can specify goal location with help of map. Mobile application user and robots should be within Bluetooth range. GPS accuracy is affected by buildings and trees so error of 10-15m should be tolerable.
Final Deliverable of the Project HW/SW integrated systemCore Industry TransportationOther IndustriesCore Technology RoboticsOther Technologies Internet of Things (IoT)Sustainable Development GoalsRequired Resources| Item Name | Type | No. of Units | Per Unit Cost (in Rs) | Total (in Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total in (Rs) | 50000 | |||
| Raspberry pi 4 | Equipment | 2 | 13000 | 26000 |
| Bluetooth | Equipment | 2 | 500 | 1000 |
| L-298 Motor Driver | Equipment | 2 | 300 | 600 |
| DC motors | Equipment | 4 | 1000 | 4000 |
| wheels | Equipment | 8 | 600 | 4800 |
| jumper wires | Equipment | 2 | 200 | 400 |
| 12 V Battery | Equipment | 2 | 800 | 1600 |
| GY-NEO6M V2 GPS module | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| HMC5883L Magnetometer | Equipment | 1 | 600 | 600 |
| Documentation printing ,integration, maintenance and travelling | Miscellaneous | 1 | 10000 | 10000 |