Autonomous Robot Gps Controlled Using Arduino

Made by my-electric-sparks-admin / Automotive / Home Automation / Robotics / Vehicles / IoT

About the project

GPS and machine vision fused together to become a trending development for Agriculture Robot guidance systems. Robotic harvesting gives innovative solutions in robot mechanics to overcome environmental challenges.

Project info

Difficulty: Moderate

Platforms: Android, Arduino, Google, IDT, Blues Wireless

Estimated time: 1 hour

License: GNU General Public License, version 3 or later (GPL3+)

Items used in this project

Hardware components

	Power Window Motors For tires.	x 1
	Reel movers Blades	x 1
	Self-made conveyor belt system	x 1
	Load Cell Amplifier- HX711	x 1
	Ultrasonic Distance Sensor - HC-SR04	x 1
	BREADBOARD POWER SUPPLY KIT 5V	x 1
	4 Channel relay output IO module	x 1
	Bluetooth module HC-06	x 1
	HMC5883L Compass	x 1
	Ublox NEO-6M GPS Module	x 1
	Load cell	x 1
	Hx711 Load cell Amplifier	x 1
	12-volt car battery	x 1

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Software apps and online services

	GPS The GPS module collects the entered coordinates from the satellite. These coordinates are responsible for the movement of Agriculture robots. Along with the change of Agriculture Robot, there is another action being performed in parallel; image processing. The harvesting of any desired crop can be done using image processing. Once the desired plant is detected, the access of GPs coordinates is cut-off right away. The Agriculture Robot then follows the crop, and a signal is given to the motor controlling the harvesting blades. The blades start as well as the conveyor belt. When the plants are being harvested, they are also being transferred into a basket simultaneously. The load in the basket is being checked continuously through a load cell. When the bucket is half, one pair of LED’s glow and when the basket is full, the other couple of LED’s light, indicating the need to unload the basket.
	App Inventor The the application covers all the aspects for controlling Agriculture robots. It has two modes of control. Auto mode: This mode can be used by selecting the ‘Auto mode’ option in the application. The Bluetooth is connected to the Agribot, and the user is asked to enter the desired coordinates of the field. As soon as the coordinates are entered, the GPS Compass HMC5883L receives the entered coordinates from the satellites within 100 meters range and then gives the coordinates to GPS Module. A signal is generated from the GPS module and transmitted to Bluetooth module HC 06, which afterward sends to the L298 motor driver. The signal received on the motor driver starts the motor due to which Agribot starts. Manual: In this mode, the mobile application is already disconnected from the Bluetooth. The user can now control the Agriculture Robot as he wants. There are different options like forwarding, Reverse, Left, Right for controlling the direction. The user has to first enter the coordinates and then select ‘Go to Waypoints’ option. The user can also control the process of harvesting by choosing the ‘Harvesting blades’ option.
	image processing The image processing is carried out in order to detect the desired crops for harvesting. The image processing is based on the object following procedure. A mobile application was developed for this purpose. The camera was then later assembled on the front of Agribot. The form developed for image processing that could identify the shape, color, and size of the desired object was made in ‘Python’ using the ‘OpenCV’ library.’ OpenCV’ is a programming library of functions developed by Intel, used primarily for real-time computer vision.
	Brake Control Circuit The brake control circuit is developed to control the Agriculture Robot. It is done using a 4 channel relay module of 5V. This relay module is generally compatible with most of the micro-controllers like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, AVR, etc. to control heavy loads like DC motors, solenoids, electromagnets, etc. The four-channel relay module consists of four high current relays. It requires a minimum of 15-20mA of driver current in order to function correctly. This relay module is a good option due to its compact structure, protected circuitry, reliability, and secure handling. The four-channel relay module is selected by keeping the power requirements in view.
	Path Planning Path planning was one of the significant and complicated tasks for the autonomous mode. The Autonomous Robot plans its path before movement. For this purpose, Arduino is used, which communicates and collects data from the GPS coordinates and HMC588L compass. The starting angle of the vehicle is also defined. The Agribot then generates a path according to the given coordinates
	Collision avoidance Of Autonomous Robot The collision avoidance process is done using the ultrasonic sensor. We set the range for the sensor to detect the object when the Agriculture robot is 20 cm away from the purpose. Its range can be increased up to 500 cm. The ultrasonic sensor emits ultrasonic waves. When these waves hit and reflect the sensor, the presence of an object is detected.

Hand tools and fabrication machines

	Power Window Motor How to build Autonomous Robot” uses power window motorsPower window motors are also called electronic engines as they are being used in many robotic applications despite in automobiles. It is basically controlled by a start and stop switch circuit when the button is pressed the motor comes to action. As a result, it can move either in clockwise or anti-clockwise so by this method the car window can either be up or down.	x 1
	Bluetooth Module HC-06 HC-06 is a module used for short-range wireless communication between microcontrollers. It uses protocol: 2.0 Communication. So far, it is the cheapest method for wireless communication HC-06 module uses a a technique called ‘Frequency hopping speed spectrum technique (FHSS) to avoid interference and have full-duplex transmission.	x 1
	HMC5883L Compass How to build Autonomous Robot” uses HMC588L is a 3-axis digital compass that uses a magneto-resistive sensor, made of Ni-Fe material. Its resistance changes as the applied magnetic field changes. The movement of Ni-Fe material experiences the magnetic field of Earth in space, which in turn changes the resistance of the material. As a result, output voltage changes across the bridge circuit. The voltage changes help in obtaining the direction of the magnetic field in space. A magnetometer is used as a compass in practical applications like mobile phones, navigation systems in vehicles for direction indication purposes.	x 1
	Ublox NEO-6M GPS Module NEO-6M is a complete GPS module with an integrated ceramic antenna and an inbuilt EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) to save configured data. The status of the module can be monitored with the help of power and signal indicators. The green indicator on GPS module blinks when the module starts working, whereas the red indicator blinks when the module is powered on. The GPS module uses the ‘RS232 TTL.’ interface. The NEO-6M GPS module assembled on a robot / the vehicle can make it move to a fixed position and return to its initial position automatically by giving waypoints.	x 1
	Reel Mover Blades The blades in a reel mover spin in a direction perpendicular to the ground. The rotation of the blades cut the crops as scissors would do so. The rotation of blades makes it easier to cut the plants. Th e method of scissors-like-cutting is better for plants. These blades are more beneficial to be used for small vegetables like spinach, cabbage, etc	x 1
	conveyer belt A conveyer belt is a medium used for carrying objects from one place to another. A conveyor belt mechanism usually consists of two or more pulleys, which forms an endless loop of rotation. Either of the lifts is powered to rotate the conveyer belt. We used the conveyor belt system in order to transfer the harvested crops from the cutter into a basket. The harvested plantsare inclined to fall at the conveyer belt, from where they can be moved further into a bucket.	x 1
	Load Cell A load cell is a transducer that produces an electrical signal by force being measured. There are various types of load cells, including hydraulic, pneumatic, and strain gauge load cells. Load cells are a form of force transducers for use in weight measurement systems. The calibration can be made in grams, kilograms, etc. The load cells are of various ranges starting from 1 kg up to tons. Autonomous Robot	x 1
	Weight Measurement The weight measurement is done using a load cell. We used a load cell of 1kg, which can measure the weight up to 1 kg. The load cell measures the force being exerted on it and converts that force into an electrical signal. This electrical signal is usually in millivolts. To make it readable, HX711 the amplifier is connected between the load cell and Arduino. This amplifier amplifies the weak output signal from the load cell and gives it to the Arduino controller. The range of weight to be measured can be increased by only using a broad range load cell. When the pressure in the basket reaches 0.5 kg (half full), one pair of LEDs turn ON. Similarly, when the weight in the basket reaches 1 kg (complete), another pair of LEDs turn ON to indicate that basket has reached its maximum storing capacity.	x 1
	Collision avoidance Of Autonomous Robot The collision avoidance process is done using the ultrasonic sensor. We set the range for the sensor to detect the object when the Agriculture robot is 20 cm away from the purpose. Its range can be increased up to 500 cm. The ultrasonic sensor emits ultrasonic waves. When these waves hit and reflect the sensor, the presence of an object is detected.	x 1

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Story

GPS and machine vision fused together to become a trending development for Agriculture Robot guidance systems. Robotic harvesting gives innovative solutions in robot mechanics to overcome environmental challenges.
This research develops an Autonomous Robot vehicle using a GPS controllable app to set the field location and self-harvest without human interaction. An image processing algorithm has been designed to identify the desired crops for harvesting. The harvested plants are transferred into a basket using a conveyer belt mechanism.

Code

Autonomous agriculture robot

  //for complete code and guides lines check out our webpage:https://myelectricsparks.com/autonomous-robot-gps-controlled-using-arduino/ 


#include <AFMotor.h>                                              // the Adafruit Motor Shield Library ver. 1 https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-motor-shield/library-install
#include "Wire.h"                                                 // Used by I2C and HMC5883L compass
//#include "I2Cdev.h"                                             // I2C Communications Library (used for compass)
#include "HMC5883L.h"                                             // Library for the compass - Download from Github @ https://github.com/jarzebski/Arduino-HMC5883L
#include <Servo.h>                                                // Servo library to control Servo arm for metal detector
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>                                       // Software Serial for Serial Communications - not used
#include <TinyGPS++.h>                                            // Tiny GPS Plus Library - Download from http://arduiniana.org/libraries/tinygpsplus/
                                                                  // TinyGPS++ object uses Hardware Serial 2 and assumes that you have a
                                                                  // 9600-baud serial GPS device hooked up on pins 16(tx) and 17(rx).                                                                  

//******************************************************************************************************                                                                  
// GPS Variables & Setup

int GPS_Course;                                                    // variable to hold the gps's determined course to destination
int Number_of_SATS;                                                // variable to hold the number of satellites acquired
TinyGPSPlus gps;                                                   // gps = instance of TinyGPS 
                                                                   // pin 17 (blue)   is connected to the TX on the GPS
                                                                   // pin 16 (yellow) is connected to the RX on the GPS

//******************************************************************************************************
// Setup Drive Motors using the Adafruit Motor Controller version 1.0 Library


int turn_Speed = 175;                                              // motor speed when using the compass to turn left and right
int mtr_Spd = 250;                                                 // motor speed when moving forward and reverse
signed int x;
signed int y;
signed int z;
signed int w;

float a;
float m;

String str;
char dir = 0;

int el = 0;
int er = 0;

int elp = 0;
int erp = 0;

char getData;

boolean fast = true;
boolean StateA0 = false;
boolean StateA1 = false;
boolean State11 = false;

void process();

//******************************************************************************************************
// Compass Variables & Setup

HMC5883L compass;                                                  // HMC5883L compass(HMC5883L)
int16_t mx, my, mz;                                                // variables to store x,y,z axis from compass (HMC5883L)
int desired_heading;                                               // initialize variable - stores value for the new desired heading
int compass_heading;                                               // initialize variable - stores value calculated from compass readings
int compass_dev = 5;                                               // the amount of deviation that is allowed in the compass heading - Adjust as Needed
                                                                   // setting this variable too low will cause the robot to continuously pivot left and right
                                                                   // setting this variable too high will cause the robot to veer off course

int Heading_A;                                                     // variable to store compass heading
int Heading_B;                                                     // variable to store compass heading in Opposite direction
int pass = 0;                                                      // variable to store which pass the robot is on

//******************************************************************************************************
// Servo Control

int pos = 0;                                                       // variable to store the servo position

//******************************************************************************************************
// Ping Sensor for Collision Avoidance

boolean pingOn = false;                                            // Turn Collision detection On or Off

boolean manualOn = false;
int trigPin = 43;                                                  // Trig - Orange
int echoPin = 42;                                                  // Echo - Yellow
long duration, inches;
int Ping_distance;

unsigned long currentMillis = 0;
unsigned long previousMillis = 0;                                  // Store last time Ping was updated
const long interval = 200;                                         // Ping the Distance every X miliseconds
 
//******************************************************************************************************
// Bluetooth Variables & Setup

                                                        // raw string received from android to arduino
String abc;
int blueToothVal;                                                  // stores the last value sent over via bluetooth
int bt_Pin = 34;                                                   // Pin 34 of the Aruino Mega used to test the Bluetooth connection status - Not Used

//*****************************************************************************************************
// GPS Locations

unsigned long Distance_To_Home;                                    // variable for storing the distance to destination

int ac =0;                                                         // GPS array counter
int wpCount = 0;                                                   // GPS waypoint counter
double Home_LATarray[50];                                          // variable for storing the destination Latitude - Only Programmed for 5 waypoint
double Home_LONarray[50];                                          // variable for storing the destination Longitude - up to 50 waypoints


int increment = 0;


void setup() 
{   
  Serial.begin(9600);                                            // Serial 0 is for communication with the computer
  Serial1.begin(9600);                                             // Serial 1 is for Bluetooth communication - DO NOT MODIFY - JY-MCU HC-06 v1.40
  Serial2.begin(9600);                                             // Serial 2 is for GPS communication at 9600 baud - DO NOT MODIFY - Ublox Neo 6m 
                                             // attaches the servo to pin 9 (Servo 0 on the Adafruit Motor Control Board)
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("Start...");
  
  pinMode(36, OUTPUT);                                             // define pin 36 as an output for an LED indicator - Not Used
  pinMode(bt_Pin, INPUT);                                          // This pin(34) is used to check the status of the Bluetooth connection - Not Used

  // Ping Sensor
  pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT);                                        // Ping Sensor
  pinMode(echoPin, INPUT);
   // Ping Sensor
   /////////////////////////////////////////////////
  // the below is for motor controll mechanism which is used by relays
  pinMode(2, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(3, OUTPUT);
   pinMode(4, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(5, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(6,OUTPUT);
  pinMode(7, OUTPUT);
 
//////////////////////
  // Compass
  Wire.begin();                                                    // Join I2C bus used for the HMC5883L compass
  compass.begin();                                                 // initialize the compass (HMC5883L)
  compass.setRange(HMC5883L_RANGE_1_3GA);                          // Set measurement range  
  compass.setMeasurementMode(HMC5883L_CONTINOUS);                  // Set measurement mode  
  compass.setDataRate(HMC5883L_DATARATE_30HZ);                     // Set data rate  
  compass.setSamples(HMC5883L_SAMPLES_8);                          // Set number of samples averaged  
  compass.setOffset(104, -231);                                          // Set calibration offset 

  Startup();                                                       // Run the Startup procedure on power-up one time

}

//********************************************************************************************************
// Main Loop

void loop()
{ 
  
  bluetooth();                                                     // Run the Bluetooth procedure to see if there is any data being sent via BT                                                    
  getGPS();                                                        // Update the GPS location
  getCompass();                                                    // Update the Compass Heading
  Ping();                                                         // Use at your own discretion, this is not fully tested
  manual();
}
  //for complete code visit: https://myelectricsparks.com/autonomous-robot-gps-controlled-using-arduino/

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Autonomous Robot Gps Controlled Using Arduino

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