Features

Sensors
Distance (3 ultrasonic sensors); Proximity and light (6 infrared sensors); Encoders (4096 pulses per revolution); IMU (9-axis); Magnetometer; Gas sensor ready; Color; Temperature; Humidity; Barometer; Microphone (3).
Energy
Inductive charging; Energy monitoring; Energy management; Supercapacitors; Solar panel; MPPT; Lithium battery; Spring pins charging; USB charging.
Communications and data storage
RF communication; IR communication; EEPROM (256 kbit); MicroSD card; USB; Buzzer; 2 RGB LEDs and 2 white LEDs; I2C; SPI.

Scope

Mini-explorer was developed by Pedro Santos on his master’s thesis on the scope of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society CEMRA AWARD 2015 (Technical Committee: Energy, Environment, and Safety Issues in Robotics and Automation).

Goals and Audience

Development of a low-cost energy harvesting systems for low energy consumption mobile robot platforms, in which several energy harvesting solutions can be tested. One of the main goals of this proposal is to introduce robotics students to energy harvesting and energy management techniques by supplying them with a very low cost robotics platform that they can build themselves; Development of a simple mobile platform, with low energy consumption, low power wireless communication capabilities (using Bluetooth LE for instance) and sensor integration; The platform is intended to be used by undergraduate students with some level of programming and electronics skills and to validate the energy harvesting modules. A laboratory course was developed to provide students with the possibility of implementing, on mobile robotic educational platforms, some computational solutions for navigation, localization and mapping.

Contact us

Address
Institute of Systems and Robotics, Dep. de Eng. Electrotécnica e de Comp. da Universidade de Coimbra Rua Sílvio Lima, Pólo II, 3030-290 Coimbra, Portugal
Phone: +351 239 796 201