Overview

Because GRAVL aims to create undergraduate research platforms capable of supporting a wide variety of projects, the team always has more projects than directed student-hours in a semester. This page serves as a parking lot for project ideas that can be tackled by future student teams, along with possible resources for those projects. These ideas can be developed into project proposals for upcoming semesters as necessary.

Priority Projects

• Re-design Electrical Safety System: Re-wire EStop system to minimize interference with OPC and cut off motor power.
• Electrical motor shutoff (if potentiometer resistance gets too low or too high, motor power is disconnected)

Software Projects

• Lightweight Visual Odometry for Mobile Robots: Implement visual odometry system for tractor using ROS-based algorithm based on paper from Rawashdeh Research Group (link)

• Slip detection

• Obstacle detection and avoidance

• Demo behaviors

  • Gestures
  • Facial recognition

• Fix teleop code (make controls more intuitive)

• Create GUI for operator

• ROSify backup camera

Hardware Projects

• Mill out hitch actuator part
• Waterproofing
• Re-do steering system
• RTK GPS Base Station Construction: Mount and waterproof all PCBs and wiring inside RTK GPS base station enclosure.

Integration Projects

• Giant antenna
• Make board to carry gps without trailer
• Steering Angle Sensor: Design and mount a sensing system to directly measure the tractor's steering angle.
• Velocity Pedal Sensor: Design and mount a sensing system to directly measure the tractor's velocity pedal angle.

Other Projects

• Add waterproof connectors
• Backup camera
• Tractor demo behaviors (follow, hand gestures, face detection)

Feeling Lazy? Want to procrastinate on other work? Quick Fixes:

• Move this list to the space somewhere
• Print keyboard holder
• Fix seat headrest
• Add grip tape to foot rests
• Add foam seat to 2nd seat
• Clone wiki locally on Toughbook
• Label everything
• Print out team photos for trailer
• Properly mount NUC screen