Proposal Interim Report:

Design and Development of a Solar

Powered Automatic Lawn Mower
PROJE! ODE: "#P$%$&
!eam Mem'ers:
OMORO !O((IAS O)
SA*#A *OEL O+,+,
AI-A E,.E*E
A(S!RA!
In Kenya today, most lawn owners either use manual workers or petroleum powered lawn
mowers to maw their lawns. The use of manual workers is a process that is expensive, fails to
employ technology, and also leads to inconsistent mowing of grass. The petroleum powered lawn
mowers require an operator, are noisy, and emit air pollutants from their exhausts. A solution to
these two methods is the use of an automatic solar powered lawn mower. In addition to using
green energy- solar power that the earth receives in vast amounts at any given instance, it
eliminates the necessity of employing operators it leads to consistent grass cutting, and employs
modern technologies in its operations. In Kenya automatic lawn mowers are very few and are not
afforda!le to a ma"ority of the population. Alternative methods to automatic lawn mowers have
therefore remained to !e the popular ways of tending grass in lawns and other grass surfaces.
This pro"ect aims to come up with a design that would !e cheaper and thus afforda!le to the
Kenyan population and also !e fully operational with high efficiency.
The lawn mower is to !e powered !y solar with a !attery used for charge storage. The
lawn mower should have a ro!ust and sta!le structure to carry all loads associated with its
structure and operation. #otion and change of directions on the surface should also !e achieved
!y the lawn mower. The lawn mower should also !e a!le to navigate a given area on its own
while avoiding o!stacles. Incorporated in it should !e a grass cutting mechanism.
The developed system at the end of the pro"ect should !e functional and meet all the
stated o!"ectives and should also !e within the !udget allocated for the pro"ect.
!a'le of ontents
$.% I&T'()*+TI(&........................................................................................................................... ,
/)/ (A+.RO,*D.................................................................................................................................. -
/)0 PRO(LEM S!A!EME*!...................................................................................................................
/) 1 PRO(LEM J,S!I"IA!IO*...........................................................................................................
/)2 O(JE!I3ES...................................................................................................................................... /
0.% 1IT2'AT*'2 '23I24................................................................................................................. /
0)/ O3ER3IE4........................................................................................................................................ 5
0)/)/ OMMERIALL# A3AILA(LE A,!OMA!I LA4* MO4ERS.......................5
Table 2.1 Technology Analysis........................................................................................................6
0)/)0 IO* A,!O*OMO,S LA4*MO4ER OMPE!I!IO*...............................................6
0)/)1 A*DROID O*!ROLLED LA4*MO4ER...........................................................$$
,.% #2T7()(1(89..............................................................................................................................$-
1)/ Overview............................................................................................................................................. $-
1)0 ME-A*IAL DESI.*................................................................................................................. $-
1)0)/ 5assis..........................................................................................................................$-
1)0)0 45eels................................................................................................................................. $/
1)0)0 .rass cutter 'lade........................................................................................................$/
1)2 AL,LA!IO*S ,SI*. I*I!IAL ES!IMA!ES........................................................................0$
-.% 2:;2+T2) (*T+(#2<............................................................................................................0,
$.% I*!ROD,!IO*
/)/ (A+.RO,*D
The lawn mower was invented in $6,% !y an engineer named 2dwin =eard =udding.
=udding o!tained the idea of the lawn mower after seeing a machine in a local cloth mill which
used a cutting cylinder mounted on a !ench to trim cloth to make a smooth finish after weaving.
=udding reali>ed that a similar concept would ena!le the cutting of grass if the mechanism could
!e mounted in a wheeled frame to make the !lades rotate close to the lawn?s surface. This
reali>ation allowed =udding to produce lawn mowers made of cast iron. These lawn mowers
featured a large rear roller with a cutting cylinder in the front. +ast iron gear wheels transmitted
power from the rear roller to the cutting cylinder @$A.
&owadays, lawn mowers are useful pieces of machinery that employ a revolving !lade to
cut a lawn very smoothly. <ince $6,%, various lawn mower designs have !een created. These
designs include push lawn mowers, which are suita!le for smaller lawns, and the ride-on
mowers, which are capa!le to cut grass in larger lawns @$A. (ther more recent models of the lawn
mower contain corded and cordless electric powered models. +ordless electric powered lawn
mowers are powered !y $0 volt rechargea!le !atteries. +ordless mowers have the
maneuvera!ility of a gasoline powered mower and the environmental friendliness of a corded
electric lawn mower @,A.
The latest design of the lawn mower is the programma!le ro!otic lawn mower. A
programma!le ro!otic lawn mower is a lawn mower that is designed to mow a lawn
automatically, without any need for human involvement or interaction. The programma!le
ro!otic lawn mower can !e programmed with a variety of information which is utili>ed to mow
the lawn regularly due to the userBs timely schedule. The lawn mower can also !e programmed to
mow grass at the desired height. The mechanism of a ro!otic lawn mower contains wheels which
allow the lawn mower to navigate the lawn, along with sensors which are used to detect changes
in terrain, fences, and other foreign o!"ects which should not !e mowed. Typically,
the ro!ot includes a charging station which can !e installed anywhere where there is an electric
outlet. #ost of these ro!ots are equipped with containers for clipping collection so that the
lawn does not need to !e raked after mowing @-A.
/)0 PRO(LEM S!A!EME*!
The standard motor powered push lawn mower is not considered user friendly. The young, old,
handicapped, or people who are disa!led would have issues using a typical push lawn mower.
Another draw!ack when using a standard motor powered push lawn mower is that this lawn
mower is not environmentally friendly as it would cause air and noise pollution. The electric
lawn mower is environmentally friendly since there is no noise pollution due to engine noises,
and no fumes !ut is expensive. An electric corded lawn mower is limited in range !y its trailing
power cord, which may limit its use with lengthy lawns. There is the additional ha>ard with these
machines of accidentally mowing over the power ca!le. The programma!le ro!otic lawn mower
is very expensive. (ne can pay upwards of C-,%%% to purchase their own. Also, this lawn mower
requires the user to set up a !order wire around the lawn that defines the area to !e mowed. This
timely process must also !e done correctly or else the ro!otic lawn mower will not operate
properly D-E. (ur main goal is to design and create a lawn mower that incorporates all of the
!enefits of the previous mentioned lawn mowers and eliminate all of the previously mentioned
draw!acks. 4ith all of these lawn mower designs mentioned, our plan is to create a solar-
propelled electric automatic lawn mower. (ur design will !e more hardware set with software
controls like a predicta!le navigation algorithm while still maintaining the efficiency and
relia!ility of regular lawn mower.
/) 1 PRO(LEM J,S!I"IA!IO*
#ost autonomous lawn mowers already created generate a random pattern that will encompass
the entire area desired to !e mowed at the end, !ut ends up consuming a lot of energy and time.
This "ustifies our push for a predicta!le navigation pattern that is more efficient in terms of
energy consumption and time spent. An electric wire is needed for most autonomous mowers to
create a mowing !oundary for the machine. 7owever, if the electric line is not properly placed,
the mower could potentially cross over the line and travel where it is not supposed to. The
perimeter wire increases time required for set up whenever a lawn is to !e mowed. This pro"ect
design will eliminate this guide wire and will instead incorporate a few sensors to carry out the
same function more efficiently. The overall goal for this mower pro"ect is to create an automated
solar powered lawn mower that is very effective and efficient while at the same time the machine
is safe, simple and not expensive.
/)2 O(JE!I3ES
The main o!"ective is to create an automated solar powered lawn mower that will mow a lawn,
navigate and perform o!stacle avoidance autonomously while !eing very simple to use,
effective, and efficient as well as incorporating safety, and simplicity inexpensively.
To achieve the main o!"ective the following specific o!"ectives will !e addressedF
$E To design a simple and fa!ricate the grass cutting mechanism and the chassis for
housing the electrical system and support the mechanical elements of the lawn
mower
0E To design and develop electronic control circuitry for the lawn mower
,E To develop control code for the lawn mower controller
-E To perform experiments that will test the performance of the lawn mower
0.% 1IT2'AT*'2 '23I24
0)/ O3ER3IE4
There are past developments that have gone on to develop !etter solutions for mowing. As a
result, the literature review for this pro"ect is divide into three main areas namely commercially
developed automatic lawn mowers review, I(& ro!otics +ompetition pro"ect designs and a
ho!!yist pro"ect, the Android +ontrolled lawn mower.
0)/)/ OMMERIALL# A3AILA(LE A,!OMA!I LA4* MO4ERS
The technology ta!le 0.$ shown !elow gives a snapshot of the commercially availa!le lawn
mowers and their characteristics like cost, weight, dimensions, cutting strategy, navigation
system, sensor system and typical chargingGrunning time. The models outlined here include
'o!o#ow, 7usqvarna Automower <olar 7y!rid, =osch Idego and Tango 2.. 'o!o#ow @/A
weighs a!out $-..kg and cuts using a spiral navigation algorithm. The 7usqvarna Automower
<olar 7y!rid weighs a!out $%kg and also applies the random path navigation algorithm. It also
has a perimeter wire sensor and guide sensor to govern its path around the lawn. It also has a tilt
sensor to detect whether the mower is upside down. *nlike other autonomous lawn mowers,
=osh Idego lawnmower uses H1ogicutI technology for its navigation system with perimeter wire
sensors that allow it to mow quickly and cleanly line !y line. This is a more efficient solution for
the mowerBs operation !ecause it takes shorter time and consumes less energy. The Tango 2.
executes a random navigation algorithm with a perimeter and guide wire sensor. It also has a
!ump sensor, tilt sensor and lift sensor to ensure efficient energy conservation. According to the
availa!le products given in technology ta!le, the &i#7 !attery gives more running time than
charging time whereas, 1ithium-Ion !attery gives equal charging time and running time. #ost of
the existing automated lawnmowers have good solutions for low noise emission, in the range of
/- to 6.d=.
Table 2.1 Technology Analysis
Product ost 4eig5t
Dimension in
inc5es
utting
Strateg6
*avigation
S6stem
Sensor S6stem
!6pical
5arging
!ime and
Running
!ime
Ro'oMow 789 C0,$-J $-.. kg &GA <piral path &GA &GA . hours

-us:varna
Automower Solar
-6'rid 7/;9
C0JJJ.J. $% kg 06x0$.5x$0.0
'andom
path
*se
perimeter
wire sensor
and guide
sensor
1ift sensor and
tilt sensor
-. minutes,
J% minutes
(osc5 Idego 719729
C$$6%.%% $$.0kg 05./x0%..x$$.6
;arallel
path
?1ogicutK
technology
Acceleration
sensor, yaw rate
sensor, odometer
sensor, perimeter
wire sensor,
tiltGroll over
sensor, lift-up
sensor, tactile
sensor, docking
sensor,
temperature
sensor, and stop
switch
.% minutes,
.% minutes
!ango E< 709 C$J$..JJ $..,kg ,%..x0$.$x$-.0
'andom
path
*se
perimeter
and guide
wire sensor
=ump sensor, tilt
sensor, lift
sensor, handle
touch sensor
J% minutes,
/% minutes
0)/)0 IO* A,!O*OMO,S LA4*MO4ER OMPE!I!IO*
The I(& Autonomous 1awnmower +ompetition was an annual competition hosted !y
the <atellite )ivision of the Institute of &avigation DI(&E and the Air Lorce 'esearch 1a!oratory
DAL'1E since 0%%- for university level students. The challenge was to design and !uild an
autonomous lawnmower that must mow an H1I shaped cutting, shown in Ligure 0.$.0 !elow, that
contains three o!stacles a picket fence, a small garden, and a stuffed dog attached to an '+-
controlled vehicle. The rules permitted 0% minutes in which to mow the lawn. There were also
guidelines for technical constraints set !y the I(& completion rules, which included restrictions
on si>e, speed, weight, and safety.
"igure 0)/)0
The most important design constraint is that the lawnmower !e completely autonomous and
unmanned and shall not !e remotely controlled at any point in the competition. Another
important design constraint is that the mower must cut the maximum area in the designated
cutting field. A maximum travel speed of $% kmGhr is imposed !y the competition, as well as the
need for the mower to have a >ero turn radius. )uring the second semester several additions and
modification were made to prototype lawnmowers. 8enerally, the lawnmowers that participated
in the competition consisted of seven su!systemsF Lrame <u!system, =atteryG;ower <u!system,
'o!otics <u!system, 8;< <u!system, +omputer <u!system, #ower <u!system and 4heels
<u!system. An example design !y *niversity of &orth Llorida in 0%$$ is given !elowF
0)/)0)/ !5e .reen Reaper II Pro$=
The 8reen 'eaper II team consisted of !oth a mechanical and electrical design, the design
process was separated into two ma"or components M electrical and mechanical. The electrical
design was focused on motor control, navigation and o!"ect detection, while the mechanical
design was focused on the materials needed to construct a custom frame and housing that would
!e the !asis for a ro!ust and functional lawn mower.
The overall system design, integrating the mechanical and electrical su!systems for 8reen
'eaper II is shown in Ligure 0.$.0.$ !elow.
"igure 0)/)0)/
The overall system consists of a mechanical su!system, consisting of the frame design, weather
enclosure, digital encoder mounts, mower !lade and shroud and wheel mounts. The mechanical
su!system was designed using multiple software suites in order to develop a sound frame design,
determine suita!le material selection and determine the environmental impact of the design.
Ligure 0.$.0.0 !elow shows the development stages of design through the development of
several prototypes.
"igure 0)/)0)0
0)/)1 A*DROID O*!ROLLED LA4*MO4ER
The !asis of this pro"ect was to design a lawnmower that can !e controlled with oneBs android device. The
constituents used to create this includeF a lawnmower, motors, motor controller, !atteries, wheels, staple
components for the frame and wheels, Arduino, 4iLly shield, and a wireless camera. The techniques used
to create and manipulate the machine includedF <oldering of the circuit designed, 7-!ridge, for the motor
controller ;ulse 4idth #odulation D;4#E in the Arduino *no for speed and direction control. The
overall approach was to design an 7-!ridge to control the motors, and to use the android phone to control
the speed and direction of the motors a wireless camera was mounted on top of the lawnmower, and its
receiver connected to a T3, so one could control the lawnmower indoors. The steering system was a
differential steering design that worked !y having two wheels on opposing sides. In order to !e a!le to
move forwards !oth wheels turn in the same direction and for !ackwards it is the same process except
going in the opposite direction. The motor controllers were required to allow for !idirectional speed
control via an 7-=ridge. The motors that were chosen had a maximum continuous load current of a!out
$0 amps. Therefore, 7-=ridge was required to !e a!le to allow for at least $/ amps of continuous load
current. The Arduino was used to control the flow of current in the 7-!ridge. The direction and speed of
the motors were changed !y varying the inputs to the switches using pulse-width modulation. To control
the Arduino, there was an Android device that sent *); packets to the ArduinoBs 4iLly module. The
4iLly module was set-up as a wireless Ad-7oc network that the Arduino will connect. The Arduino was
powered !y a car !attery the car !atteryBs output voltage was stepped down from $03 to .3 using a
linear regulator !ecause higher voltages caused malfunctions with the ;4# pins. Numper wires are used
to connect the Arduino to the 4iLly module.
As can !e derived, most of the commercial autonomous lawnmowers use perimeter wire sensors
to control their motion within the assigned area. There are two different types of perimeter wire
sensors one is a !oundary loop-wire sensor used to prevent the lawn mower from going outside
the assigned area. Another type is a guide wire sensor which is used to guide the mower to its
charging station and return to its last finishing position after !eing fully charged. =ut this
solution has some weaknesses the mower consumes more energy and time since it operates
randomly within the !oundary loop until the entire green area is mowed, and the lawn will not
look nice after mowing. 4hile the I(& 'o!otics +ompetition tries to eliminate the perimeter
wire, these pro"ects are very expensive as they are heavily funded hence introduce complex
technologies like laser scanning and 8;< triangulation. (n the other hand, ho!!yists try to solve
the same pro!lem !ut not to very successful execution.
1); ME!-ODOLO.#
1)/ Design Overview
The design of the overall system will !e !roken down into three fundamental areasF the
mechanical platform, the electrical system, and the software implementation. The mechanical
platform will consist of a sturdy aluminium chassis !ase that is driven !y four wheels using
differential steering from the rear. Inside the ro!ot, a mower deck occupies the !ase of this frame.
It is important to use the correct type of mower deck since vi!rations are of great concern here.
The shroud is used to separate the mower deck area from the rest of the ro!ot to prevent grass
clippings from !lowing into the upper compartment of the ro!ot. The solar panels inclined in a
3-shape arrangement are the main power source for the !atteries via a charge controller. There
are two separate 0-3G$/A drive motors to provide thrust mo!ility to the ro!ot. In the !ack, two
$03 !atteries, connected in series, supply 0-3 to the motor powering the mower and the dual h-
!ridge, which controls !oth drive motors. )rive motors, electronics and !atteries are located
toward the rear of the ro!ot to provide more traction. The electrical system is created in two
independent sections. The first will consist of the electronics portion of the ro!ot hardware. This
includes the sensory devices Di.e. ultrasonic sensors, encoders, etc.E and the microcontroller that
will handle processing of the received data. The second section will !e made of the motors and
motor drives. The software associated with this pro"ect is categori>ed into navigation and
o!stacle avoidance su!systems. Ligure ,.$.$ !elow shows the high level design of the overall
system.
"igure 1)/)/ !5e overall s6stem design
1)0 ME-A*IAL DESI.*
The primary concern when designing this lawn mower is its simplicity and low cost, which
affected the types of materials considered for the chassis. The mechanical design was focused on
the materials needed to construct a custom frame and housing that would !e the !asis for a ro!ust
and functional lawn mower. Ligure ,.0.$ shows the mechanical design as designed using
<olid4orks.
"igure 1)0)/: Mec5anical design as illustrated in Solid4or>s
1)0)/ 5assis
The materials under consideration for the chassis were either aluminum 1 !eams, square
aluminum tu!ing or ;erspex flat !eams. =oth materials have the advantage of !esides !eing
structurally capa!le of taking loads they are also easily machina!le and a!ove all, light in
weight. The frame is made out of !oxed, or square, aluminum tu!ing which is welded into a
rectangular pattern with angled supports along the outside. The wheelchair motors and wheels
are located on the front and !ack of the frame. <pindle wheels were attached at the front of the
frame where there will !e proximity sensor mounts. These wheels attached via tire mount
swivels that allow ,/%O of rotation. The drive motors are attached !y using the original fasteners
from the motor mounts onto the aluminum frame. The sensors are also attached to the frame. The
ultra-sonic sensors are placed onto the system !y using the original mounting !rackets and
screwed onto the frame such that one is at the front of the frame !etween the spindle wheels and
one on each side of the frame, all of which are pointing outwards to help sense o!stacles at the
!est HviewingI angle. The chassis design is shown in figure ,.0.0 !elow.
"igure 1)0)0 5assis design
The 1atitude and 1ongitude of Nu"a locality is -$.$%0..-0 and ,5.%$,$J0/ respectively. (n the
0$st )ecem!er, the sun will rise J$O east of due south and set J$O west of due south. The chassis
design is in such a way that it can hold the cutter motor securely and at the same time hold the 3-
configuration of the solar panels at an angle of 0%O.
Fault Analysis
As shown in Ligure ,.0.0, the frame of the lawn mower was drawn in <olid4orks
and put through a stress analysis with all of the stresses that the frame would encounter. The
weight of the lawnmower is simulated !y a single downward force on each of the square
aluminum !ars. The forces of the spindle wheels are shown !y two upward forces on the front of
the frame. Linally, the weight of the !atteries and electronics is shown !y two downward forces
on each of the aluminum !races attached to the frame. As shown in the figure, the stress is red
where the most stress is happening on the frame and dark !lue is where the least stress is
showing on the frame.
<olid4orks consider the chassis as a multi!ody system and does its analysis !ased on this. <ince
most of the weight will !e at the rear, it is logical to test this part of the chassis as its most
suscepti!le to failure than the front side. ,5%& is the assumed force on this part and this is !ased
on the assumption that at least three quarters of the whole weight will !e !ehind.
1)0)0 45eels
Lour wheels are used in this designF two swiveling wheels at the front and two fixed drive wheels
at the !ack for directional control of the lawn mower through differential power. The rear wheels
are attached to the drive motors via a sprocket assem!ly. In addition, encoders on the wheel
allow the ro!ot to know the current position on each wheel for precision speed control.
1)0)0 utting Dec>
The grass cutting mechanism is to !e a rotating mechanism with !lades that are sharpened to !e
a!le to cut grass as they rotate. The !lade is mounted on the frame via motor shaft of the cutter
motor. The cutter motor is then held in place !y hinged !rackets attaching it to the !ody so that
the !inding nuts have enough strength to withstand the torque exerted on the !rackets under the
weight and gyroscopic forces of the cutting !lade. The !lades is -$.%0cm long and the cutting
deck width of 6%.%,cm. These !lades are contained inside a shroud and careful consideration is
given to its choice to ensure safety.
,.0., #otors
The motors !eing used are two )+ electric motors. 2ach of the motors came with their
own mounting !rackets and gear !oxes. The two drive motors are !olted onto aluminum 1-
!eams with four hex screws. The 1-!eams are welded on either side of the frame of the
autonomous lawnmower. The motors also have a gear switch located at the top of the housings.
3.2.5 Final Mower Specifcations
Ta!le ,.0.0F #ower <pecifications
FINAL MOWER SPECIFICAIONS
Component Dimensions Notes
Mower Asse!"l# $o%#
Len&t'( ))*.+ c! Wi%t'(
**.,-3 c! .ei&'t( 5,.// c!
Incl0%es all protr0sions in
eac' %i!ension
Front Caster W'eel 1ia!eter( 2).52c!
Rear 1ri3e W'eels 1ia!eter( 32.2/ c!
rac4 Wi%t' 25.+2) c!
'e %istance alon& t'e
!ower5s wi%t' "etween
t'e en%s o6 t'e rear %ri3e
w'eels
W'eel $ase /2.-22 c!
'e %istance alon& t'e
!ower5s len&t' "etween
t'e "otto! o6 t'e 6ront
w'eel an% t'e "otto! o6
t'e rear w'eel
Electronics Co!part!ent Len&t'( -5./2 c! Wi%t'( 2+.3/ c! .ei&'t( 2,.32 c!
C0ttin& %ec4 wi%t'
2,.,3c!
C0tter len&t'
-).,2c!
otal !ass
-2.+/4&
Mechanical Design Validation
<olid4orks simulation shows that the lawn mower, which was constructed out of a com!ination
of materials, was adequate for use in the application. An L2A analysis has !een done ensuring
the design is a!le to handle the stresses and strains under the given loads. The maximum
deflection and stress will occur at the various points as shown.
1)1 ELE!RO*I IIR,I! DESI.*
1)1)/ PO4ER MOD,LE
;ower will !e supplied from two solar panels mounted on the top of the lawn mower. The solar
panels will convert solar energy to stored electric energy in the $0 volt !attery packs. In !etween
the !attery packs and the solar panels will !e a solar power charge controller to control the
charging of the !atteries. The charge controller would protect the !atteries from currents and
voltages not in the charging ranges of the !atteries.
A power distri!ution !oard will distri!ute specific voltages to the various components and
circuitries of the lawn mower. The micro controller for example will !e supplied !y a constant
voltage supply of . volts.
1)1)0 DRI3E IR,I!S
The drive circuit will work through the interaction of the motors and the micro controller.
1)1)0)/ Motors
The lawn mower will consist of three motors- two to drive the wheels and one to run the grass
cutter mechanism. The wheel motors should !e a!le to provide sufficient torque to move the
lawn mower in various types of lawn terrain. The motor controller and drives should !e a!le to
vary the performance of the motors to achieve the events of !raking, starting, maintaining
motion, differential power to select motion direction and reversing. Lor the grass cutter the
motors and motor controllers will achieve the functions of starting and stopping the motors
depending on the directions presented though the microcontroller program. The motors would !e
interfaced to the system micro controller from which the system code will !e run to control the
entire system. The ratings of components in the motor drive circuits will !e calculated as per the
design specifications.
The figure ,.0 !elow shows some dc motor controllers and some of their parameters and
features.
Ligure ,.0 types of dc motor controllers considered
1)1)0)0 Microcontroller
The micro controller will act using its program code to change the manner of operation of
different components of the drive circuit. The microprocessor through its program code would
influence starting the drive mechanisms, maintaining the drive mechanisms in motion, changing
direction of the lawn mower through differential wheel powering, reversing the lawn mower and
!reakingG stopping the lawn mower. The micro controller using its code will determine whether
the grass cutter motor starts or stops.
1)1)1 O*!ROL IR,I!S
The control circuit will !e implemented to achieve its functions through the interaction of
sensors and the micro controller. The sensors !eing considered are proximity sensors to detect
the presence and proximity of o!stacles, grass detection sensors to detect the presence or a!sence
of grass. The sensors will !e interfaced to the micro controller so that an appropriate action is
implemented according to the program code.
The figure ,., !elow shows roughly the interaction of various components of the electronic
module
Ligure ,., Interactions of components in the control model.
1)1)2 ODE DE3ELOPME*!
+omputer <u!system D+TE
T.$ )esign
The lawnmower has two ways to move. The first way is through a controller which is
connected to a "oystick which controls manual movement. The second way is using the
computer su!system. The computer su!system is the !rain of the autonomous lawnmower which
connects all the hardware such as the sensors, motors and the microcontroller. The integration of
all the parts was the hardest part a!out !uilding it. The programming of the microcontroller is
logic controller decides what signals should !e sent and is where all the integration com!ined.
T.0 7ardware
The "oystick the manual is pushed forward it uses the circuit !oard to send the signal to
the motors to move forward. The "oystick also has !uttons to change the speed to go slower or
faster. The "oystick also has the power !utton which is needed for !oth the controller and the
computer su!system.
The computer su!system contains the !asic stamp 0 microcontroller which directs the
mower?s movement, sensors, and the on and off functions. As the frame of the mower moves the
microcontroller receives signals from the ultra-sonic ping sensors and the infrared sensors. The
ping sensor sends out a pulse and when the pulse !ounces !ack the sensor sends the amount of
time it took to receive the pulse to the microcontroller. Then the microcontroller depending on
the distance it calculates reroutes around the o!"ect. The infrared sensor sends a frequency out
that is set to detect a certain color and if it gets reflected !ack then the infrared sends the signal
!ack to microcontroller. Lor sensor location see )rawing T$. The wheels on the lawnmower
have a !uilt-in encoder which sends a signal to the microcontroller which gets interpreted as a
distance. (nce the distance is reached the !asic stamp 0 sends the signal to the controller. As
the mower moves across the microcontroller saves the distance from the encoder so it can
compare against the dimensions of the field. The microcontroller could receive signal for an
automatic shut off, either from a wired red !utton or from the wireless controller.
T., <oftware
The software needed is the =asic <tamp 2ditor v0.%. This is the editor to write and
change the code. Lrom the editor it is a!le to !e uploaded to the =asic <tamp microcontroller.
The programming language is in ;=A<I+ which is similar to =A<I+ !ut created !y parallax
which is who designed the =asic <tamp =oard microcontroller.
T.- ;rogramming
The software is designed to move around !ased on what movement it did previously, see
)rawing T0. There are five cases that it chooses from. The cases are start, move straight, turn
left, turn right, and o!"ect. The start case is "ust to give everything time to turn on then it goes the
move straight case. The move straight applies power to the wheels to go forward and as it does
reads the encoder and compare the distance to the !oundaries and checks for o!"ects using the
ping ultra-sonic code. It also uses the infrared sensor to detect the white lines that will !e on the
side of the field. After the lawnmower reaches the !oundaries the straight case changes cases to
the turn case. The program decides to turn left or right depending on what it did previously did,
so if it turned right last time it turns left and vice versa . (nce case left or case right has !een
decided it turns and moves over the length of the deck and turns the same direction so it faces the
field again. Then it the turn function sends it !ack to the move straight case. (nce the straight
case it detects an o!"ect it goes to the o!"ect case. The lawnmower will get within a half of a
meter and then stop and turn towards the cut grass and move until the sensor can no longer see it.
Then it goes straight again till it does not sense the o!"ect again then it turns !ack onto the main
path. (nce it goes !ack onto the main path it goes !ack to the straight case. This is repeated until
the program gets to the distance across the field.
T.. 2quipment 1ist
-=asic <tamp 0 #icrocontroller
-Three *ltra-<onic ;ing <ensors
-Two Infrared <ensors
-Noystick
T./ +ost
-=asic <tamp 0 #icrocontroller - C-J.%%
-*ltra-<onic ;ing <ensors -C,J.JJ per unit
-Infrared 1ine <ensors-C,J.JJ per unit
-Noystick - C$JJ.%%
T.5 <hipping
-=asic <tamp 0 #icrocontroller - ,-. working days
-*ltra-<onic ;ing <ensors - ,-. working days
-Infrared 1ine <ensor- ,-. working days
-Noystick -$ )ay
T.6 Installation
The longest part of installing the parts was the programming. 4hen the program is actually
!eing created it takes time to de!ug and test to make sure it does what is needed.
-;rogramming- $ day to 0 weeks
-=asic <tamp 0 #icrocontroller -$ days
-Three *ltra-<onic ;ing <ensors -0 days
-Infrared 1ine <ensor- 0 days
-Noystick -$ week
T.J Lault Analysis
In the computer su!system a possi!le fault is in the ping ultra-sonic sensor program. The
sensor sends a sound wave out which in different air temperatures will cause it to travel faster or
slower. The way to prevent this pro!lem is to use the temperature constant formula
where Tc is the constant and + is the degrees in +elsius. The constant in
the program needs to !e changed so the program can accurately stop. If the constant is wrong it
could cause it to inaccurately read the o!"ect distance and either hit the o!"ect or avoid it too
soon causing the lawnmower to not cut some of the grass.
Also, if the program has a memory error it could affect the encoder and have it go longer or
shorter and go out of the !ounds of the cutting field. There is no way to prevent this. The
!ackup is the infrared sensor which is also running and it detects the !oundaries in case the
encoder fails.
: P ;ing *ltra-<onic <ensor % P Infrared 1ine <ensor
)rawing T$ - <ensor
;lacement
92
;ower
(n
+ase
Lorward
(!"ectQ
(!"ectQ
+ase
(!"ect
'eached
)istance
Q
'eached
)istance
Q
;reviou
s TurnQ
;reviou
s TurnQ
+ase
1eft
+ase
'ight
92
&(
&(
12
'I87
)rawing T0
-
;rogrammin
g Llow
+hart
The coding language will !e selected in accordance to the final micro controller that will !e
selected. The code will !e involved in the process of navigation and o!stacle avoidance.
1)1)2)/ *avigation
The code should ensure that the microprocessor controls the drive mechanisms and circuitry to
move the mower around from a given start point during the process of grass cutting. The motion
will !e in a linearG nonrandom manner.
1)1)2)0 O'stacle avoidance
Through the microprocessor program code will direct the drive circuit on how to ena!le the lawn
mower to avoid the o!stacles. (!stacle sensors would inform the microprocessor of the presence
of an o!stacle. The microprocessor through its program code would then determine the path to !e
followed in avoiding the o!stacle. <ome of the elements considered in navigation and o!stacle
avoidance includeF
2dge sensing on the !oundaries.
;attern prediction as
$. 2ither, spiral and reduction of dimensions.
0. 'eduction in radius as the cutting goes on.
,. <piral reduction of dimensions in rectangular directions.
-. *sing the starting position and cutting along that line and cutting to the other end.
1)1)2)1 !rou'le s5ooting and testing
After development of the code, trou!leshooting techniques would !e employed to to remove
!ugs and optimi>e the code, testing will then !e done on the lawn mower to see how the lawn
mower operates when running the specific program code.
1)2 AL,LA!IO*S ,SI*. I*I!IAL ES!IMA!ES
4heel )iameter P$6..cm
=aterry ;ack P $.kg.
+hasis 4eight P .kg.
4heel #otors P ,kg.
+utter #otor 4eight P 0kg.
+utter P$kg.
<olar ;anel P 0kg.
+ircuitry and sprockets P $kg.
4orking <peed P%., mGs.
Total 4eight P,%kg.
*sing a safety factor of $.- for miscellaneous additions,
4orking 4eight $.-R,% P-0kg.
Assuming we distri!ute the weight so that two thirds of the weight is on the rear wheels, each
rear wheel holds 0G,R-0S0P$-kg.
4eight per wheel P$- kg RJ.6$ mGs
0
P$,5.,-&
Lrictional Lorce P Lf P Ts &
8rass coefficient of friction P %.,.
Lrictional Lorce P $,5.,-R%.,.
P-6.%/J&
Torque 'equired from motor PLR'adius
P-6.%/J& R%.%J0.m
P-.--/-&m
This assumption is that the one third of the weight on the front wheels will !e taken care
<uggested linear speed P%.,mGs
'evolutions ;er #inute of wheel
3 PUR'
%.,mGs PUR%.%J0.m
<peed per secondP%.,mGsS%.%J0.
P,.0-,0radGs
&P,.0-,0R/%S0 V
P,%.J5';#
2); E=PE!ED O,!OMES
To develop an automated solar powered lawn mower that will mow a lawn, navigate and perform
o!stacle avoidance autonomously while !eing very simple to use, effective, and efficient as well
as incorporating safety, and simplicity inexpensively.
Fig 3.3 Schedule
8); RE"ERE*ES
@$A =ender, )aniel. 8uthrie, Andrea. 8oode, Nason. 7ayashi, #asato. Thomas, Anthony.
Thomas, 8eorge. D0%$$, &ovE. 'o!otic 1awnmower )esign. @(nlineA.Availa!le LT;F
httpFGGro!omow.ion.orgGwpcontentGuploadsG0%$$G$0G0%$$W+levelandW'o!oticW1awnmowerW)esi
gn.pdf. DAccessedF 0%$-, Nune $,E
@0A 7all-8eisler, Kristen. D0%$,E. 7ow can lithium-ion !atteries improve hy!ridsQ@(nlineA.
Availa!leF httpFGGauto.howstuffworks.comGlithium-ion-!atteriesimprove-hy!rids$.htm.
DAccessedF 0%$-, Nune $,E
@,A =ender, )aniel. 8uthrie, Andrea. 8oode, Nason. 7ayashi, #asato. Thomas, Anthony.
Thomas, 8eorge. D0%$$, &ovE. 'o!otic 1awnmower )esign. @(nlineA.
Availa!le LT;F
httpFGGro!omow.ion.orgGwpcontentGuploadsG0%$$G$0G0%$$W+levelandW'o!oticW1awnmowerW)esi
gn.pdf. DAccessedF 0%$-, #ay 05E
@-A D0%$,E.=est #owerF Nohn )eer Tango 2.. @(nlineA. Availa!leF
httpFGG!estmower.comGproductsGNohn-)eere-Tango-2..html. DAccessedF 0%$-, Nune $.E
@.A =osch, 'o!erts. =osch Idego. @(nlineA. Availa!leF
httpFGGwww.!oschindego.comGg!GenGproductGtheXindego.html. DAccessedF 0%$-, Nune $-E
@/A D0%%,E. =osch Idego 'o!otic 1awn #ower. @(nlineA.
Availa!leFhttpFGGalltoolsgarage.comGindex.phpQroutePproductGproductYproductWidP0,/)
DAccessedF 0%$-, Nune $0E
@5A +ar!a"al, #artin, #allman, #ike, ;orter, +urtis, Zurinskas, 2rik. Team <(1=(TF
;reliminary )esign 'eview. @(nlineA. Availa!le
LT;FhttpFGGwww.docstoc.comGdocsG$$,-%6-/-GT2A#-<(1=(T-;'21I#I&A'9)2<I8&-
'23I24) DAccessedF 0%$-, Nune $.E
@6A 2lectric #owersF 'o!omow 0$ in. +orldess 2lectrical 1awn #ower. @(nlineA. Availa!leF
httpsFGGm.hayneedle.comGindex.cfmQeventPproductYidP<T+%5,YcategoryWidPJ%. DAccessedF
0%$-, Nune $/E
@JA Nohn )eerF Tango 2.. @onlineA. Availa!leF
httpFGGwww.deere.comGwpsGdcomGenWI&TGproductsGequipmentGautonomousWmowerGtangoWe.Gtan
goWe..page.D AccessedF 0%$-, Nune $,E
@$%A D0%$,E. i'o!ot 'oom!a 3acuum +leaning 'o!ot. @(nlineA.
Availa!leFhttpFGGwww.iro!ot.comGusGlearnGhomeGroom!aG+onvenienceWTechnologyG3irtualW4all.
DAccessedF 0%$-, Nune $,E
@$$A D0%$0E. 'o!ot +enterF 'o!otic <olution ;rovider. 7usqvarna Automower 0,%A+:.
@(nlineA. Availa!leF httpFGGwww.ro!otcenter.co.ukGcollectionsGro!ot-lawnmowersGproducts
Ghusqvarna-0,%-acx. DAccessedF 0%$-, Nune $.E
@$0A D0%$0E. 'o!ot +enterF 'o!otic <olution ;rovider. 7usqvarna Automower <olar 7y!rid.
@(nlineA. Availa!leF httpFGGwww.ro!otcenter.co.ukGproductsGhusqvarna-automower-
solar-hy!rid. DAccessedF 0%$-, Nune $.E
@$,A ;aradise 'o!oticsF 1awn!ott 1=$0%% <pyder. @(nlineA. Availa!leF
httpFGGwww.paradisero!otics.comGlawn!ottro!otmowersGlawn!ottl!$0%%spydernoperimeterwires.
htm[.*nt99(NsuiZ. DAccessedF 0%$-, Nune $0E